


Swimming In The Fast Lane

by assbuttintheimpala



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Bottom Castiel, Coach!Dean, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Build, Swimmer!Castiel, Teacher-Student Relationship, Top Dean, Underage Drinking, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-05 03:02:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 93,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/assbuttintheimpala/pseuds/assbuttintheimpala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel Novak was the star of his high school swim team with an attitude problem but that could change when new coach Dean Winchester entered with his pretty boy features that had Castiel wanting more than the typical coach-swimmer relationship</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the work I have been working on for a while now. I lost motivation for it after a bit but I am determined to finish this and by posting this now I think it will push me to write so I can get it done with you guys waiting for me to update. I have no set update schedule as of yet and I'll just update the next chapter once I've written another one so I keep ahead of myself

Late as usual, Castiel Novak sauntered into training. He had been on the swim team for his entire time he had spent at the high school and was a legend for what he did. He had arrived in town at the age of sixteen after he emancipated himself from his abusive and controlling uncle and decided a fresh start was exactly what he needed. Zachariah Alder, Castiel’s uncle had offered to take Castiel in when his parents, Jimmy and Amelia Novak, died in a car accident when Castiel was only seven years old. At first, Zachariah had been kind and loving towards Castiel but that soon changed when he was fired from his job and turned to the drink. As his uncle’s alcoholism continued, his anger and need to control grew and he took it all out on an eight year old Castiel. When he turned fifteen, he had decided enough was enough and sought out legal counsel.

When he had first arrived at the school, he had been somewhat of an introvert and shielded himself away from the other students. He had his head down and did well in his school subjects. No one knew of his past and that was the way he intended to keep it. As far as his fellow students knew, he lived happily at home with his parents. Only the principal and a select few of the staff, particularly the school guidance councillor knew different. As soon as he found out that the school had a swim team, he signed up and never looked back. He had always been a keen swimmer but had never done anything competitive but their coach, Old Man Singer, had quickly shown him the ropes and Castiel was away. The water was where he was free. No one could judge him on how he was socially inept or how he kept his head down and didn’t speak to anyone. No one could see anything but the speed and grace at which he swam and more often than not, won.

As he started to get noticed in the pool and won every race at their meets, Castiel became noticed in the school. People who had ignored him when he first arrived would come up to him and pat him on the back in congratulations for his most recent win and many would want to be his friend. He learned early on that most of the people that came up to him were just out to be popular but soon he was dragged into being friends with none other than Meg Masters. Meg was a short girl with long, curly brown hair and pale skin who had a way of getting Castiel to do whatever she wanted him to. Castiel resisted at first but soon enough, he just let her have her way and went with the flow. It was nice to have at least one friend in the school. Even though Meg was manipulative, Castiel soon got the hang of handling her.

Meg dragged Castiel to many parties and gatherings of college students where they would get drunk or stoned together before they wound up back at Castiel’s studio apartment and would relieve their sexual frustrations. Castiel never found sex with Meg to be utterly mind-blowing but it helped burn off steam that he would gather after a week’s worth of school and practice and Meg never complained so he just went with it. However, at the end of their junior year, Meg unfortunately left the school and moved across the country which left Castiel alone. With Meg gone, Castiel usually found himself out clubbing in the local bars and clubs with his fake ID that Meg had given him, searching for a good time.

His parents had been incredibly rich and had left Castiel a trust fund which would give him an allowance each week which allowed Castiel to pay for all his expenses as well as leave a lot of money left over which he usually blew on alcohol and weed. However, through all the drugs, alcohol, and partying, Castiel still kept his body in peak condition and in the lead up to any meet he would make sure he was completely free of any illicit substances. He never wanted to be hung-over for a race as that would mean letting himself, Coach Singer, and his team mates down. He would look after his body for the races and then after, he would party until he dropped. Everyone on the team knew what he did, even the coach, but no one ever tried to stop him. If they did, he wouldn’t have listened to them anyway. He did what he did because he wanted to forget and swimming and parties were the only way that allowed him to do that.

Having Meg as a friend changed Castiel. He learned how to be manipulative and became more self-absorbed over the time he spent with Meg. Turning up late, was something Castiel always did after he’d met Meg. He was a legend, and he knew it. He knew he was good and Coach Singer had tried to reprimand him for his tardiness but it never stuck and he soon gave up. He didn’t have the option of kicking Castiel off the team because without him they wouldn’t win anything. Castiel had revived the school’s passion for swimming and because of that, he was untouchable. Giving him the punishment of doing extra laps never worked because Castiel usually did more work than the others anyway. If he wasn’t in class or off partying, Castiel would be in the pool working on his technique to make himself faster and sometimes even in the gym working on his cardio, core or legs to gain further strength. All the records that the school held were broken within two months of Castiel signing up to the team and their trophy cabinet had become increasingly full over the years that Castiel had been there. The teachers loved him and he always worked it to his advantage.

What Castiel didn’t expect when he arrived at training was a younger guy standing next to Coach Singer. He looked to be in his early twenties, was tall with light brown hair and broad shoulders that looked just like a swimmer’s. He was dressed in navy blue tracks and the customary white polo that the team wore on competition days and Coach Singer wore all the time. He was well built and filled out the polo well and Castiel had to lick his lips. The man was gorgeous and Castiel could feel his arousal building the more he looked at the man.

“Ah, Castiel” Singer greeted “Glad you could join us” he continued sarcastically. The greeting brought the attention of the new guy to Castiel and his arousal only grew as he got a look at the guy’s face. He was a pretty boy with soft almost feminine features. He had bright green eyes and plump pink lips with the facial structure of a god.

Castiel had a smile across his lips as he replied to the coach while he ignored the stare of the new guy “You know me coach, things to do, people to see” At the roll of Singer’s eyes, Castiel took the motion to strip off. He could feel the eyes of the mystery man on him as he moved over to the pool side and removed his swim team shirt that he had been given when he signed up. It was a large as it was the only one that they had left at the time but Castiel had grown fond of the shirt. It hung loosely on his swimmer’s body but it wasn’t too baggy. It had their school logo and swim team written across the front in a blue font. He pulled the shirt over his head to reveal his tattooed back.

When he had first been emancipated, he had the strong urge to take advantage of his new found freedom and the first thing he did was get a tattoo. When he was younger, his mother had told him all about where his name had come from. She told him how he was named after the Angel of Thursday as he had been born on the weekday. His mother had always been devout in her following of the church and she had been extremely fascinated by the angels and their names and origins that she started researching them all. As a young boy, Castiel loved hearing the stories his mother knew and instead of reading a typical bed time story, Castiel would beg his mother to tell him of some exotic angel or a retelling of the tale of Lucifer’s casting from heaven. Castiel saw this tattoo the he desperately wanted to get to remind himself of the love he held for his mother and took his name origin as inspiration. He decided that getting wings of an angel tattooed was what he wanted. They were realistic and covered his entire back. Some of the feathers wound round to his ribs on his side as well as covering his upper arms and shoulders. The tip of the feathers extended low on his back and dipped below the waistband of his jeans that he still had on. It had been a long couple of weeks of recovery just for the outlines only to be repeated once again for the shading but the end result was worth it. He loved his tattoo and the people he let see it up close usually agreed.

Once he had put his shirt away, Castiel stripped off his jeans and folded them to put away in his bag before he dug out his towel, swim cap, and goggles. When his towel was sitting on top of his bag, swim cap on his head, and goggles around his wrist, he turned around and adjusted his swim trunks. He tied the drawstring and tucked it away before he glanced up to find that the new guy had his eyes were on him. When he noticed that Castiel was looking at him, he promptly looked away and Castiel smirked. This was going to be easier than he had expected it to be.

Castiel made his way over to pool side and watched his teammates warm up for a few moments as he leant down to wet his goggles and put them on before jumped in the free lane that he was always left for him. He always got the middle lane after he had proven himself to be a strong competitor. When he had first joined, the team had made him swim in the outside lanes which were usually for the weaker swimmers but when he showed that he was the fastest on the team, Singer had changed his position and put him in the middle lane. From that point on, the lane was always left for him even though Castiel was hardly ever on time.

As soon as Castiel hit the water, he felt all his worries and stresses fade away as he propelled himself through the water. He took slow strokes at first just to let his body warm up and get used to the movements. When he had first started, it was hard to get into the rhythm of pacing himself for warm up so he didn’t over exhort himself but now it was easy. He knew exactly what his body was capable of and when to push or when to hold back. Even though he had started at least fifteen minutes after the rest of the team, he finished his warm up at the same time as the rest of them and moved over to where Coach Singer was stood talking with the new guy.

“Alright, now that we’re all here,” Singer started with a glare at Castiel once the whole team was present “I’ll get started. Now as you know, I’m not gettin’ any younger” There were a few chuckles around the squad and a shout of ‘got that right old man’ from one of the other seniors which earned a scowl from Singer “As I was saying” he started again once the team calmed down “I’m not gettin’ any younger and I’m going to retire soon so I’ve found my replacement to look after you grommets” He gestured to the man next to him “This is Dean Winchester and you will treat him with the same respect you treat me. This boy is practically family so if you give him any trouble you will be answering to me. He’s been swimming since he was just a youngin and he’s decided to come and coach you so you better treat him well. You hear me?”

Everyone answered with a ‘yes coach’ but Castiel was too caught up in staring at the man – Dean – before him. He looked utterly nervous to be stood in front of a group of teenagers about to start to train them. Castiel smirked as he looked up at him. They were going to tear him apart.

“Alright then. Let’s get started” Singer spoke “Take it away Dean”

Castiel bit his lip as he watched Dean. The man blanched at the fact that Singer was effectively throwing him in the deep end and made him take training straight off the bat. “Uh…” Dean thought for a moment before he came to his own and realised that he was a swimmer himself and knew what to do “Start with 200 free while I write up the rest over on the whiteboard over there. By the time you’ve finished, I will have written up the sequence. If you need further instruction don’t hesitate to ask for it but I’m sure you all know how to swim and read. We clear?” Once again everyone spoke their confirmation with a ‘yes coach’. Castiel didn’t miss the small smirk of satisfaction that came as everyone answered in unison. “Alright then, get to it”

Castiel stayed put and waited for Dean to glance down at him. He sent the man a wink and a small smile before he pushed off the wall and turned himself so he could duck under the lane rope and make his way to his lane. He pushed all thoughts of the guy stood on pool side out of his mind and got to work on his training. He needed to push himself that little bit further so he could prepare himself for their next meet that was in a few weeks. It wasn’t their biggest one of the season but it was an important one because it was the first in a long run that lead to Nationals. If he did well in those and showed his competitors that he was a force to be reckoned with it would make for a decent Nationals campaign.

His swimming ability had grown unmatched to many of the schools they competed against and found that he was constantly winning. If he showed through all the meets that he was good then hopefully, it would push those guys that much more to train harder and make the competition that much more competitive come Nationals. 

Castiel finished everything Dean had written up on the board well before everyone else and sat at the end of the lane to catch his breath. He removed his goggles and placed them up on his head before he looked up to where Dean was stood on pool side. When he looked up, the man quickly looked away but Castiel could see the faint tinge of red that graced the tip of his ears. Castiel shook his head with a small smile across his lips while he splashed water on his face to cool himself down before he wiped it off again. Dean was too easy.

“Hey coach” Castiel called out to get the attention back on him.

When Dean turned to look over, Castiel felt a small tinge of disappointment that the blush had gone.

“Yes?” Dean asked his voice was steady and unshaken.

“What do I do now? I’ve finished all that” Castiel called back across the pool as he indicated to the whiteboard. Dean hadn’t moved from where he was stood at halfway so he could see everyone as they swam. He would occasionally stop a swimmer and give them a tip on how to improve but he hadn’t stopped Castiel once. Castiel thought it was either his technique didn’t need improvement or Dean was just too flustered to stop him. He hoped it was the latter.

Dean bit his lip before he looked at his wrist watch and then back to the board. Castiel knew he could just carry on with his own regime but he really wanted to test Dean and see if he was any good.

“How ‘bout we do some time trials with you. See how fast you can get?” Dean asked “There’s only twenty minutes left of training so I want you to do your best 50 sprint followed by 100 and then 200 sprint. Make sure you’re taking your time at the end of each to catch your breath. I don’t want you to push yourself too hard”

Castiel nodded his head so apparently this guy wasn’t just a pretty face. Dean seemed capable of doing the job and Castiel looked forward to actually being coached by him.

“Sure thing Coach. You going to time or should I just follow the clock?”

“I’ll time. Be more accurate that way” Dean answered. Castiel nodded and pulled himself out of the pool to get onto the starting block. He glanced over at Dean one last time before he placed his goggles back on his eyes and stepped up onto the block. He readied himself and took a deep breath before he heard Dean bellow out,

“On your marks, get set,” and then the whistle blew and Castiel launched himself into the water. He pushed himself hard as he wanted to prove to the new coach that he was fast. It wasn’t just about showing off though. He had a goal in mind, this year he was going after the national records. He wanted to show he was the best and the only way to do that was to push himself hard.

He knew he wasn’t at his fastest as he headed into the turn as he had already done a lot of swimming that afternoon but he was still up there with his personal best. He pushed off the wall hard and swam back the other way to try and get himself up to where he normally would be. He felt good as he hit the last 10 before he hit the wall and looked up to Dean panting.

Dean was staring down at his watch with his mouth gaped. Castiel smirked obviously Coach Singer hadn’t told Dean how fast he was.

When Castiel had caught his breath back he called out “What is it, Coach?”

Dean blinked a few times as he still stared down at his watch before he looked up at Castiel with his eyes wide an mouth agape.

“What the fuck” Dean breathed “Dude, you got 21.14.”

Castiel just smirked before he shrugged “It’s not my best but I’m a little tired after your workout. I can do better than that though”

“I don’t doubt it” Dean called back. “Catch your breath then up on the start block when you’re ready and we’ll start the 100”

Castiel did as he was told and followed Dean’s instruction. Castiel flew his way through the freestyle sprints and made it within a couple of seconds of his personal bests in all them. Dean had been gobsmacked after each sprint and Castiel really couldn’t keep the smile off his face that he had impressed Dean. He was looking forward to the year with him as their coach. When Castiel finished his 200, the rest of the group had finally finished the session Dean had set.

“Alright team, easy 400 warm down and then that’s us for today. Great job everyone and I’ll see you all next session”

Castiel quickly finished his but made sure to take it easy. When he was done, he climbed out the pool on somewhat shaky limbs. He hadn’t over done himself but his muscles had started to protest on the last 50. While still on pool side, he stretched himself out to make sure that he wouldn’t be sore the next day. As he stretched, Dean wandered over.

“So Castiel,” Dean spoke “You did well today but you need to show up on time next session. I know Bobby is a push over but I aint like that so you turn up on time or I will punish you”

Castiel smirked “Coach Singer tried that. It didn’t stick”

Dean just looked him up and down before a small smile spread across his face “Yeah well I’m a bit more creative in my punishment so if I were you, I’d be on time”

“Whatever coach” Castiel snarled as he stood and made his way over to his bag. He discarded his swim cap and goggles on the bench as he picked up his towel. He ran it through his hair and mussed it up to dry it off before he wiped down his torso. He didn’t once turn his attention anywhere but the wall in front of him as he was kind of pissed that Dean was already trying to reprimand him for being late. He thought that he had made it quite obvious that he didn’t need to be on time. Castiel was a strong swimmer he didn’t need to be there on time. He could turn up fifteen minutes late and still finish before the majority of the squad.

Somewhat angry, Castiel wrapped his towel round his waist and made his way to the locker room with his bag slung over his shoulder and swim cap and goggles in hand. He went straight to his locker and opened it to find his spare clothes to get changed into. He really didn’t want to get back into the clothes that he had worn all day to school. He placed them on the bench in the centre of the aisle before he collected his special shampoo and soap that got rid of the chlorine and made his way to the communal showers. A few of the boys were already in there and smiled over at Castiel as he entered.

“So what you think of the new guy Castiel?” a short brunette by the name of Gabriel asked. Gabriel was known as the school trickster and was the squad captain. Castiel had never been offered the role even though he was the best swimmer on the team. Castiel knew it was because his lack of punctuality but he really didn’t care. He was the best on the squad and he didn’t need a crappy title of ‘swim captain’ to tell him that.

Castiel offered a shrug of his shoulders as he made his way over to a free shower. He stepped out of his trunks and kicked them away as he turned on the tap. He relished in the fresh water that ran over him. “I don’t know” Castiel said after a moment “Seems like he knows what he’s doing”

“Also seems like he might have your number” Another teammate, Balthazar, chimed in “He gave you a decent warning as you were stretching. You going to pay it any mind?”

Castiel just shook his head “You know he won’t be able to tame me Balthazar. If Coach Singer couldn’t what makes you think he can?”

Balthazar just shook his head and didn’t reply. There was a small smile on his lips as he turned away from Castiel and finished his shower. The rest of the group offered their thoughts on the new coach and Castiel had an ear out to listen to it all. They all seemed to share the same opinion that he had potential to lead them to Nationals. Maybe this time they would be able to break some records while they were there.

After he had washed his hair and body free of chlorine, he made his way back to where he left his clothes. He slid into his tracks and pulled his hoodie over his head. He packed away his gear and left the locker room with a wave to his teammates over his shoulder. Keys in hand, he made his way to the school student car park where his blue 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback was parked. The car had been his father’s and was left to him when his parents past. It hadn’t been the car that they had been driving at the time of the wreck and Castiel was somewhat grateful for that because if it had been, he didn’t know if he would have been able to handle driving it around. The car was always well looked after and ever since Castiel could walk, his father had taught him how to clean her and keep her shining. When Zachariah had taken him in, the car had been put in storage until Castiel was able to drive. As soon as Castiel was of age, he got his driving permit as he knew as soon as he was free of the man, he would leave in the Mustang with everything that he possessed piled in the boot and that was exactly what he did.

Castiel unlocked the trunk and threw his gear inside before he made his way to the driver’s door. He slid into the seat with a sigh. His body was tired and he really just couldn’t wait to get home and sleep. He started his car smiling at the familiar sound of the engine that always reminded him his childhood with his parents and made the short thirty minute drive to his apartment. He pulled into his parking spot and removed his gear from the car before he made his way up to his loft. It was a huge apartment and Castiel found that the area was quite large for just him but he really did like it. It gave him space to entertain the few friends he did have and if he did bring someone home after a night out, it gave him something to show off as well as give the appearance that he was older than he actually was.

It was two stories with the kitchen, living and bed downstairs all in one room. When entering the front door, the kitchen was to the left and to the right was a spiral staircase that led to the second floor. Upstairs was where Castiel had a spare bed for when his friends need a place to crash. There was a door that led out to a terrace that overlooked the city landscape where there was also a spa where Castiel escaped to the private space to smoke his weed and his cigarettes. Once he was through the door, he quickly made his way into the bathroom to chuck his wet gear into the dryer before he walked back to the kitchen to find a snack. He was too tired to cook anything and he did have some homework to do but he knew that he will be sorry in the morning if he foregoes dinner. It was times like these that Castiel was glad that he bought frozen dinners.

He found a box of mac’ ‘n’ cheese in the freezer which he set in the microwave for the allotted time before he went to the couch. He picked up the remote as he passed and flopped onto the couch. He was home just in time for the news and flicked it on to catch up on the current events. He was about to drift off when the ding of the microwave woke him up. With a sigh, he picked himself up off the couch again and got his meal out of the microwave. He collected a fork from the drawer before he made his way back to the couch to eat. He waited a few moments before he shoved his fork into the plastic container. His forkful was still steaming even after he had waited so he blew on the mouthful before he swallowed it down. When he was done, he stood from the couch and went to the kitchen to dispose of the rubbish. Castiel was no slob, he made sure his apartment stayed clean and everything was put away in its correct location.  

With the trash away, Castiel turned off the kitchen lights and wandered through to where his bed was. He flopped onto his king sized bed and shuffled under the covers. Castiel groaned as he realised he had forgotten to turn off the television as well as the fact that he had homework. After he resided to the fact that he wasn’t going to do the work, he remembered that he had two remotes for the television; one which was placed on his bed side dresser. He flicked the television off and snuggled back into the sheets where he fell into an exercise induced sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the interest so far in this story it means a lot. I just want to say before you read that what I know about swimming in the US is quite limited since I live on the other side of the world so if I get something wrong I apologise in advance. Also as I had a comment about it on another fic of mine I do write in New Zealand English so there will be different words for things than what most of you will use in the US but that's just how I talk and write so I hope it doesn't bother you too much. Anywho on with the chapter :)

Castiel awoke to the annoying buzzing of his alarm clock. He grumbled in annoyance from where he was buried under the duvet and refused to move. The insistence of the buzzing however forced him to move and stop the alarm. With a quick glance at the time, he realised he had slept in and he was ten minutes away from being late. It was nothing new, so Castiel didn’t worry. He had been tardy for most of his school life and had never been reprimanded severely simply due to the fact that he was a capable student that handed assignments in on time and passed every exam with at least an A.

Groggily, Castiel wiped his eyes free of sleep and tossed the comforter back. He rolled to his back and stared at the blank ceiling as he tried to decide whether it was worth actually making the effort to get out of bed and attend school that day. It was one of those days that Castiel had woke up and just wanted to spend the rest of eternity in the comfort of his king sized bed. Reality got the best of him, and he slipped out of bed for a quick shower before he dressed in black skinny jeans, his favourite red and black hi-tops, and a plain red t-shirt. On his way out, school bag in hand, he grabbed his black zip up hoodie and his keys before he made his way to the car park to drive to school.

It was a nice day out and Castiel had his aviators over his eyes as he drove to shield from the morning sun. Traffic was light given that he was late and he pulled into the school car park just in time for the start of first period. He pulled his bag out from the passenger side seat and slung it over his shoulder before he locked his car and headed into the school. Castiel easily manoeuvred himself through the crowd as they headed to their next class and was greeted by his fellow classmates. He gave them all a smile as he headed in the direction of his locker to switch his books. When he arrived, he wished he hadn’t. Stood at his locker is none other than Ruby Medea.

Ruby was a keen little follower of Meg’s and would always try to be part of what Castiel and Meg did together. At first, Castiel didn’t mind. He was just there to blow off some steam but when she started to get in the way of what they did together, he got irritated. She originally was fine with Castiel leaving with Meg to head back to his apartment but soon enough, she started to kick up a fuss. The first few times, Castiel thought that it was because she didn’t want to be left at a college party by herself which was understandable. However, after the fourth time, they were onto her game. She was jealous; of whom, they were unsure, but they knew for certain that Ruby wanted to get with one of them. When Meg had left, Ruby had made it known that she wanted Castiel and had begged to take Castiel out nearly every day without fail. Castiel had downright refused every time but for some reason, the woman didn’t give up.

“Hey Castiel.” Ruby greeted with a finger twirled in her long black hair. She was trying for the innocent school girl look which had Castiel internally groaning.

“Hello Ruby” Castiel replied his tone nonchalant. He was in no way going to give her even a glimpse of emotion. If she saw anything on his face or in his body language, she would interpret that as Castiel wanting to get with her which was the complete opposite of what he wanted.

She giggled, actually giggled, at Castiel. Castiel opened his locker and rolled his eyes out of view from Ruby’s gaze. It had grown harder and harder to keep his expression stoic as the weeks went on. She just couldn’t get the hint. Castiel was known for his sexcapades and he had turned her down enough times, he thought, for Ruby to get the hint that he was just not interested in her. Apparently she didn’t get that message.

“Are you going to the party this Friday?” As she spoke, Castiel finally found the book he was looking for and had put his unnecessary books back into his locker. He slammed his locker shut and had to cool the smirk that was about to spread across his face as the suddenness of it made Ruby jump.

“No” Castiel answered simply. He had heard about the party that was being thrown by the football jock, Michael, from the local college and there was no way in hell he was going to that party. Michael was an asshole who Castiel had the displeasure of meeting one night when Meg and Castiel had gone to one of the frat houses. To make a long story short, Michael had spent the entire time they were there hitting on Meg who had made her answer clear that she was not interested. When the jock hadn’t got the picture, Castiel stepped in and told him to back off. Castiel ended up with a black eye and hadn’t returned to the frat house since.

With his answer not up for debate, Castiel made his way down the hall and towards his next class which thankfully, he did not share with Ruby. He left a disappointed Ruby in his wake as he was swallowed up by the crowd of people that had greeted him and pulled him into the group to talk to him for a few moments. It was times like these, he enjoyed his popularity. It gave him the opportunity to avoid further dialogue with Ruby.

Castiel entered his AP English lit class and took his usual seat down the back of the class. He had already read every one of the books they were meant to read this year and therefore was rather bored in most of the classes as they were just reading the book. However, when the book was up for discussion, Castiel was always an active participant and had a lot of thoughts and theories about the text. When the teacher praised him for his insight, he would get dirty looks from some of his classmates who were obviously annoyed that Castiel was popular _and_ smart but he smiled back at them and hoped they would soon drop their unwarranted hate towards him.

Ever since he first started school, Castiel knew he was different when it came to his intelligence level compared to his peers. When he was younger, Castiel would spend all his time reading anything and everything he could get his hands on. He was a sponge that absorbed all the information that he read through. As he grew older, he couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he found he was so much like _Matlida_ except without the happy ending. He didn’t have someone that was willing to adopt him from a young age. No, he was stuck with his abusive drunk of an uncle that only showed affection by buying him expensive gifts. With age, the gifts grew more expensive and Castiel knew that it was just something for appearances so that people wouldn’t know what happened behind closed doors. Castiel was just glad he was smart enough to get out when he did.

Luckily, today his class was discussion class. He spent the entire class wrapped up in the discussion and was quite impressed by what some of the class thought about the book. Some of the ideas they spoke challenged what Castiel had been thinking the book was about and to see it in a different light. He nodded along when the other students said their ideas on the book and how they interpreted the passage they were currently focused on. It was probably his favourite part about the entire curriculum hearing someone else’s point of view for the exact same thing he had read.

Near the end of class, his friend, Balthazar from the swim team, got his attention. “Cassie, you going to be on time for training in the morning or are you going to see if this new coach follows through with his threats?” his friend asked with a clear twinkle of mischief in his eye. Balthazar was a bit of a trouble maker and would always be encouraging Castiel misdemeanours. Castiel smirked over at his friend. They always had a training session early Friday mornings before school and it was a well-known fact that Castiel was not a morning person. He would turn up at least thirty minutes late for the session.

“I’d like to see him try. He obviously has no idea who he’s dealing with. Extra swimming won’t faze me”

“You know that, we know that but does he?” Balthazar asked. Castiel simply shrugged just as the bell went. He packed up his gear into his bag and stood from his seat. He waved goodbye to his friends as he exited the room and off to his next class.

The rest of his day passed in much the same way. Castiel would participate in the class if he found it worthwhile if not, he’d spend the entire period talking with his friends. He would be told off for chatting a lot of the time but he would shrug it off and continue with his conversation. The teacher soon gave up on reprimanding him and just let him be.

At lunch, Castiel could be found out the back of the school where teachers scarcely went, joint in hand, in conversations with the fellow weed enthusiasts of the school. He had grown to be good friends with them as he spent nearly every lunch hour with them getting a buzz. They would recommend different blends for him to try and Castiel would never hesitate to give it a go. It was never enough to get him high just to give him a slight buzz for the lunch hour before he had to head to his afternoon classes.

By the time the final bell rang, Castiel’s buzz had lifted. He didn’t have training today but headed to the pool anyway. He wanted something to do and if he could put in an hour or so in the pool and shave off a couple of seconds off his personal best then all the better.

It was times like these that Castiel was glad he kept a spare pair of trunks in his locker. He made his way to the changing shed and quickly undressed and got into his swim trunks. They were a lot tighter than his usual pair and left nothing to the imagination but Castiel had never been one to be self-conscious and just grabbed his spare goggles and towel before he headed out to the pool area. It was empty which he was grateful for as it gave him the room to focus and just let the tension that had slowly been building through the day drift away.

He had been swimming for near forty minutes when he decided to take a small break. He swam to the side, removed his goggles and climbed out of the pool. With his free hand, he ran it through his wet hair to push it back from where it was plastered against his forehead. He wandered towards the drinking fountain where he took a few long gulps. As he drank, he had the strange feeling of someone watching him. Subtly, he tried to look behind him to see if there was indeed anyone around. When he saw who was across the other side of the pool he couldn’t help but smirk. Coach Winchester was stood blatantly staring at Castiel’s ass while he drank. Castiel knew that these trunks showed off his ass and that they hung quite low on his hips so that the majority of his wings tattoo was showing.

Slowly, Castiel stood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before he turned to see Dean quickly look away once again with his ears a tinge of red. Castiel couldn’t help but find the reaction endearing.

“Oh hey Coach. Didn’t see you there” Castiel greeted happily as he walked towards where Dean was stood “Hope you don’t mind me being here. I just felt like putting in a little extra this week”

“Afternoon Castiel” Dean greeted formally with a nod. He wasn’t looking Castiel in the eye instead looking everywhere but the man in front of him. Castiel just smirked at the reaction he was having on the older man. “No, no of course not. If you think that it means you can turn up to training in the morning late then you have another thing coming. I will have to punish you if you turn up late.”

“Oh really?” Castiel asked cockily “And what does this ‘punishment’ involve?”

“Well,” Dean started finally looking Castiel in the eye “If you’re on time, you won’t have to find out will you Novak?”

“We’ll see Coach” Castiel replied before he made his way back to where he had left his towel. He thought that Dean would leave but apparently, he was going to stick around. Castiel picked up his towel and half-heartedly dried himself off before he wrapped his towel around his shoulders and looked over at Dean again who had once again been caught staring at Castiel’s tattoo. “Is there something I can help you with Coach?” Castiel asked.

Dean shook his head. Castiel could practically see the thought process that was going through the man’s mind. He was obviously debating with himself whether to ask about the tattoo or not. Part of Castiel wished the man would just come out and ask instead of just ogling him whenever he had his back to him. Castiel definitely didn’t mind the scrutiny but he just wanted the man to acknowledge his curiosity.

“You sure?” Castiel asked as he took a step closer towards the older man. There was still a decent gap between them as Dean was still stood near poolside where he had been earlier. Castiel had kept his eyes locked on Dean’s the entire time. He knew his stare made people uncomfortable at the best of times but Dean was staring right back. Castiel found himself caught up in the greenness of the man’s eyes as if he could see right into the man’s soul.

He didn’t know how long they stood there but then suddenly, Dean looked away and cleared his throat. “Don’t be late, Novak” Dean said before he turned and headed over to where Castiel knew his office was located.

Castiel was left a little dumbfounded as to what had just happened. What he did know was that Dean found him attractive and that, he could work with. Castiel smirked as he watched Dean disappear through the door that lead to the offices of the physical education department before he turned on his heel and made his way back to the locker room.

One thing was for sure, he was definitely going to test this man.

Castiel rolled up to training twenty minutes late which to be fair was early for him for a Friday morning session. The rest of the team was already well under way with the session Dean had written up on the board and the coach was watching them all swim. Castiel dumped his bag and grabbed his swimming gear before he made his way over to where his lane was. Just as he was about to dive in, he was stopped.

“Novak!” Dean shouted “Here please”

Castiel looked up to see Dean staring over at him with his brows furrowed in anger. The swimmer smirked as he stepped off the diving block and made his way round to where Dean was stood.

“Yes coach?” Castiel asked knowing clearly that Dean was about to dish out his ‘punishment’

“I told you not to be late” Dean said in a matter-of-fact tone. Before Castiel could interject, Dean continued “You will complete the set on the board and then when that’s finished you will have a two minute break before you start up 50 yard freestyle sprints. Each sprint must be done within five seconds of your personal best which Coach Singer has given me. You will do eight in a row without a break. If you don’t reach the end of each 50 within five seconds of your personal best you start again from the beginning. Once you’ve finished, you do the same with 100. Are we clear?”

Castiel simply stared up at the man. That sounded like hard work especially after having to do the complete session before having to do his best effectively sixteen times in a row. He wasn’t going to let it get to him though and give Dean the satisfaction of breaking him. Instead he kept his face stern as if he was talking to Ruby and didn’t let any emotion cross his face.

“Yes Coach” Castiel replied his voice steady as he stared Dean in the eye refusing to back down. Dean stared back just as intense.

“Good, now get swimming” Dean ordered.

Castiel turned on his heel and made his way back to the diving block of his lane. He pulled his goggles on over his swimming cap and dove into the pool to get the session underway. It was going to be a long session so he knew to pace himself throughout the first lot of drills Dean had set out. He wasn’t going to give the man any satisfaction whatsoever. He let himself go at his normal speed but made sure to not push himself too far when he hit the back end of the session. Each time he had to stop for a quick break he looked over to Dean who had a smug grin on his face as he watched Castiel. It was as if Dean knew something Castiel didn’t.

Of course, the prospect of doing so many sprints in a row was quite daunting but for someone like Castiel, it wasn’t too bad. He had done a lot more on his own when he trained by himself and there was no way that Dean was going to break him that easy. Castiel found himself at ease and not even very tired as he finished the set that Dean had asked them all to do and once again Castiel had finished before the rest of the team.

Dean looked over at Castiel as he finished and eyed him.

“Finished Novak?” He queried. Castiel nodded in reply and Dean continued “Alright then you got two minutes and then I’m starting the timer. Remember five seconds within your personal best or else you start over. Clear?” Once again Castiel nodded not letting a speck of emotion to cross his face. He was determined to do this first try just to show Dean where he could shove his discipline.

“Two minutes is up Novak. Ready,” Castiel set himself up with one hand on the end of dive board the other out in front of him so he was faced towards Dean “Set” Castiel set himself out of the water and braced his feet on the wall to get a decent push off. The whistle blew and Castiel pushed off at his best speed as he knew that was the only way he was going to get within five seconds of his personal best of 20.32. It was only half a second or so off the national record for his age but he was determined to beat it.

Castiel flew through the water and turned on the wall getting a decent push off to head back for the final 25. When he hit the wall, he turned and kept going he didn’t know his speed but he knew Dean would yell it out to him and would tell him to stop if he was too slow. As it was, he was within the five seconds like he knew he would be.

“23.56 Novak. Keep going” Dean yelled out “Pace yourself, don’t want you passing out on me”

Castiel would have snarled if he hadn’t been otherwise pre-occupied. He was going to do this and he was going to get every 50 as close to his personal best as he could.

“23.13” Dean yelled out after the second 50.

It wasn’t good enough for Castiel though. He needed to push himself for better.

“22.35” Was his third time.

After the fifth, Castiel’s body was feeling the burn. His muscles were tired and he had to come up for air a lot sooner than he would have liked but he still pushed. He wanted to get to his personal best and although he didn’t have the adrenaline of having the race in front of him, he had the prospect of having Dean’s plan of punishment foiled and that was enough to push him forward. However, his times were dropping.

“23.67. Pick up the pace Novak you don’t want to start over do you?” Dean called out tauntingly as he started his sixth. Castiel knew he was falling off the pace but he just didn’t have it in him to keep up with his personal best. He knew he wouldn’t drop off completely and would still make it within the five seconds but it was going to be tough.

“24.31” Dean called out again as Castiel started his final lap. Castiel pushed hard through the water as he tried to will his body to make it through to the last length, as he hit the wall, his turn was a little off but he made up for it with a harder push than normal and swam as fast as he could back. He knew he should try save it for when he started his 100 sprints but there was no way he was going to give Dean the satisfaction of watching him start over.

With a final stretch, Castiel reached the wall and came up for air panting. He didn’t have any clue how fast he went through that final 50 as all his concentration was on reaching the wall within the time just so he could look at Dean’s face. He controlled himself and calmed his breathing before he looked up at Dean expectantly to wait for his time.

“20.12” Dean breathed out as he looked over at Castiel with his face blank.

“What?” Castiel called out as if he had struggled to hear the time. In truth, he had heard it completely clear but he wanted to hear it from Dean just one more time.

Dean cleared his throat and spoke again louder this time. The rest of the team had finished their session and were also looking over at Dean expectantly as they wanted to know Castiel’s time as well.

“20.12” Dean repeated

Castiel grinned “Guess I have a new personal best then” he said smugly to which Dean scowled before he schooled his expression. He obviously didn’t want his irritation to be noticed at how Castiel was indeed getting under his skin.

“You have two minutes Novak and then you’re starting your 100s. As for the rest of you, 200 easy warm-down and I’ll see you next session”

Castiel knew he was meant to have three minutes but he knew he had annoyed Dean by how well he had done. Now he was determined to do just as well in the 100. Castiel managed to calm himself within the two minutes and gave his limbs a small stretch to help him for the effectively 800 sprint. It was going to be tough after all he had swam that morning but he was going to prove Dean wrong and just to show how much it hadn’t affected him, he was going to turn up late next session.

Although it was tough going, Castiel did indeed finish his sprints all within the five seconds of his personal best for the 100. He was utterly exhausted by the end of it but there was no way he was going to let Dean know he had got the best of him. If he let up now, Dean would think he had won and that was not an option.

He pulled himself out of the pool and stood on shaky legs. Everyone else had already left the facility more than likely already changed and on their way to the main school block to meet their friends and get some breakfast. For Castiel however, there was an intense stretching session to be had before he did anything else. He hadn’t looked at Dean once since he had climbed out of the pool; instead, he started stretching out his muscles methodically as he did after every session.

Castiel was sat on the ground stretching his groin muscles when Dean came over.

“You going to be on time next session?” He asked with raised eyebrows and a stern look in his eyes.

Castiel simply shrugged his shoulders and looked up at Dean with a calm expression. “Have to wait and see I guess. If you really think that is going to scare me into arriving at training on time you really don’t know me very well”

Dean simply rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath before he pinched his nose with his right hand. “You do realise it’s not very sportsman like to turn up late every session. It’s not a good look for the team and it’s not a good look for you. You’re a great swimmer Castiel and the entire team knows it but your attitude needs work. As long as you turn up late, the more creative I get with my punishments and trust me _that_ was an easy punishment”

Castiel really didn’t care about Dean was saying. “The team doesn’t care that I turn up late. They’re all good people and they couldn’t give two shits if I turned up on time or not. They know how much effort I put in to this squad and how many hours I put in so they have no ground to stand on if they want to say me turning up late isn’t good for the team”

Dean sighed again before he ran his hand through his hair “Up to you Castiel but you should really think about making the effort to turn up on time. You may be a good swimmer but you’re shit at being a team player”

With that, Dean turned on his heel without another word and headed off towards his office. Castiel was left there in silent contemplation as to what Dean was saying. Castiel knew his teammates didn’t have a problem with him turning up late to their sessions as he had asked Gabriel about it specifically. Gabriel didn’t have an issue with it so why was Dean insinuating that the team did? They all knew that Castiel would stay after their sessions had finished and put in extra work and would often come in even when they didn’t have training to swim some laps as he had the previous afternoon so why was Dean being an asshole and trying to get him to show on time? It’s not as if he was skiving off and not putting in the effort.

With one final shrug, Castiel continued his stretching before he finished and made his way to the locker room to shower and dress for school. It was the worst thing about Fridays that he had to go to school after a session and seeing as he had done so many sprints, he knew he was going to feel it late in the day. But it was Friday, and the prospect of the weekend which meant clubbing and finding someone to scratch that itch was something he looked forward to every week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news I have finally passed the little bit of writers block that I have had for this fic for weeks now and have pushed out another chapter. I am writing ahead for this fic which is a new concept for me but hopefully this way I can be a little regular with updates. I don't know when the next update will be as real life is a little hectic right now but I will try my best to set some time aside to write.
> 
> Enjoy :)

Castiel could barely keep himself awake throughout the entire school day after the sprints Dean had put him through that morning. After he had showered and dressed, Castiel had gone to the school cafeteria to get some food as he hadn’t eaten all morning. When he arrived, he was once again greeted by Ruby.

“Hey Castiel” Ruby greeted much like she had the previous morning “You look tired. Something wrong?”

“No Ruby, I’ve just finished training and I’m going to get some food before I have to go to class so if you don’t mind” Castiel snapped as he pushed past Ruby and through to the cafeteria to find something to eat.

Usually, they didn’t serve breakfast but on Fridays, many of the school teams had training sessions early in the morning and as a lot of the students weren’t able to just go home and eat before school, the cafeteria would provide a meal for the ones who wished to purchase it. It was a great convenience for the students and quite a few people that didn’t even need to be at school in the early hours took advantage of the service.

Ruby huffed at Castiel as he passed and he hoped that it would be enough to get rid of her for at least the weekend. Of course, without a doubt, Castiel knew Ruby would try and get in contact with him over the weekend given they don’t have another training session until Monday but he can dream.

Castiel picked up an apple, a carton of chocolate milk, and a bowl of muesli hoping that the food would make him a little perkier for the rest of the school day. Once he had paid, he turned to find some of his teammates sat at a table near the centre of the room. He quickly made his way over and took a seat next to Balthazar.

“Hey Cassie” Balthazar greeted “How was your punishment?” He taunted.

Castiel shrugged his shoulders as he dug into his muesli. He dipped his spoon into the bowl and took a decent mouthful. Once he had swallowed it down, he answered. “It wasn’t that bad. Not anything I haven’t done before. He thinks it’s enough to get me to show up on time. He also thinks that me turning up late says that I’m not a ‘team player’” Castiel included the quotation marks with his fingers as best he could with the spoon still in his hand.

“So he’s saying you should show up on time because it’s not a good image for the team you turning up late every session?” Gabriel asked from where he was sat opposite Castiel. To Gabriel’s right was Samandriel, a sophomore who had joined the team just that year. Samandriel seemed to take a liking to Castiel as soon as he joined the team and Castiel would be lying if he didn’t find the boy attractive but he was just that, a boy and there was no way that Castiel was going to go down that road. The boy was shy and would only talk to Castiel if strictly necessary which Castiel found strangely endearing. The boy was currently staring down at his tray as Gabriel, Balthazar, and Castiel talked obviously shy to talk to the group as he was so new to the squad. Castiel chose to just quietly continue as if he hadn’t noticed the younger boy was avoiding the conversation.

“Pretty much” Castiel agreed.

“Ah huh” Gabriel nodded “So you don’t agree with what he’s saying then?”

Castiel took another mouthful of his cereal as Gabriel spoke. He made sure to swallow before he answered “I get that he wants me to set an example, I do, but it’s just… it’s not like I don’t put in the effort. I do more than most of the team and I do it faster so it’s not like I’m not a team player” Castiel continued to eat as he finished talking while his friends thought over what he was saying. Castiel was starved and he didn’t have long before the bell would ring for the start of classes so he needed to finish quickly.

“Right” Gabriel replied “Do what you like Cassie, it’s not like you’d listen to us anyway”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Castiel snapped back after he had swallowed. He glanced at Balthazar who had his eyebrows raised as he looked over to Gabriel “Are you saying I don’t listen to you?”

“No I’m saying that you do what you want to do. I don’t care if you turn up late, you know that. It’s just maybe you should listen to Coach Winchester? He knows what he’s doing and he just wants what’s best for the team” Gabriel reasoned but Castiel didn’t hear any of it.

“Fuck that” Castiel swore “I’m doing it my way. He’s not going to get the best of me and his little extra work out sessions are _not_ going to break me”

Gabriel lifted his hands as he defended himself “Alright, alright” Gabriel spoke “Do what you like Castiel. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into”

Castiel glared at Gabriel before he calmed down as he realised Gabriel was just performing his role as squad captain by backing up the coach. It was his job to make sure the team arrived on time as much as it was Dean’s so maybe Gabriel was getting flak from Dean for Castiel’s failure to arrive on time. Either way, he knew Gabriel could handle himself.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine” Castiel replied before the table fell into silence as they finished their meals.

Castiel wolfed down the rest of his meal as quick as he could as he knew he didn’t have much time. He was deep in thought as he ate not even taking notice of the conversation that had started once the topic of Castiel’s tardiness dropped. Just as he finished his meal, the first warning bell rang. Castiel quickly stood from the table and took his tray with him before he dumped his rubbish in the trash and headed towards his locker to gather his books for his first class. He knew it was going to be a long day given how tired his body was. He really needed some caffeine and mentally made a note to sneak into the physical education department to get himself a coffee. He knew that the department had the best coffee outside of the Home Economics department but they were hawks when it came to watching who entered the room where the coffee machines were located. Fortunately, the PE department was no way near as militant.

The morning classes were a drag and Castiel struggled to keep his eyes open long enough to take any decent notes in any of his classes but nothing was of great import so he really didn’t need to bother anyway. When lunch finally rolled around, Castiel found himself gravitated towards the PE department. He had done this many a time before but for some reason he had a strange feeling in his gut. Numerous times he had been caught sneaking into the department and none of the teachers had ever thought twice about Castiel being in there so he had no clue as to why he felt like he did.

As he made his way with ease through the corridors he soon reached the offices that belonged to the staff. Most of the doors were closed which meant they were no doubt in the staff room with the rest of the teachers. As he sneaked further down, he saw the last two doors open. One which led to the small kitchen that held the coffee machine, the other to Coach Singer’s office. He knew the old man would have no trouble with Castiel if he caught him but what Castiel didn’t know was that Dean was also in that office until it was too late.

Castiel crept forward and into the kitchen only to hear his name called from Coach Singer’s office.

“Castiel?” a familiar voice that was not the gruff tone of Coach Singer called. It startled Castiel for a moment and he froze on the spot where he was stood in the doorway. Slowly he turned around and hoped that his suspicions as to whom the voice belonged to weren’t correct.

He wasn’t so lucky.

Stood before him was none other than Coach Winchester with a confused look on his face as he no doubt wondered why Castiel was in the department.

“Uh… Hi” Castiel stuttered unsure how he was going to talk his way out of this one. If it had been any other teacher, he would have been fine but as Dean was new and was trying to break Castiel’s defiance, this was going to be a tough conversation.

“What are you doing here?” Dean queried and Castiel swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. He had no idea how to answer that question and Dean looked at him expecting an answer. Castiel stiffened as he watched Dean cross his arms over his chest and lift his eyebrows in a ‘well I’m waiting’ expression. As he did so, his polo stretched across his biceps and Castiel could see the strength that those arms contained. His mouth went dry as he ogled the man in front of him until he realised that he hadn’t spoken in a while and Dean was no doubt wondering if he was ever going to talk.

With nothing to lose, Castiel opted for the truth “Uh… coffee?”

Dean kept his arms folded but his expression softened from anger to Castiel guessed somewhat sympathetic. Confused, Castiel looked at Dean with squinted eyes as he tried to figure out why Dean looked at him with such an expression. He didn’t have long to wonder though as Dean soon uncrossed his arms and moved past Castiel into the room where he grabbed two mugs and flicked the coffee machine on.

“How do you take it?” Dean asked over his shoulder as he grabbed a spoon and a few sugar packets.

Still bewildered and stood in the doorway, Castiel stuttered out his answer “Uh… black… strong” Motionless, he watched Dean work around and make his coffee before he took a seat on one of the couches while he waited for the coffee to perk. As he sat down, he eyed where Castiel was stood.

“Are you going to sit down or just stand there?” Dean asked with a small smirk on his face.

Castiel shook his head to snap himself out of his daze and moved across the room to sit on the other couch opposite to Dean. He sank into the cushions and for a moment he thought he could just lie down and he’d be out for the rest of the day due to his exhaustion but there was no way he was going to show his fatigue in front of Dean.

“So training session got the better of you then?” Dean asked with a smug grin.

Castiel’s face hardened “No” He replied defiantly “I just don’t handle early mornings well” Castiel wiped his face with a sigh before he looked over at Dean to find him watching the movement. “Why are you even making me coffee anyway? Isn’t there a school rule that teacher’s aren’t allowed to encourage students drinking caffeine?”

“Well, I can either just give you the coffee and you shut up about it or you can leave feeling guilty about breaking school rules but I don’t think you have a problem with that anyway do you?”  Dean said and raised one eyebrow as he looked pointedly over at Castiel.

Castiel smiled slightly “I guess not” he replied

“Yeah didn’t think so. Besides,” Dean continued “I know what it’s like having so much training and how by the end of the week all you want to do is crash. But of course it’s Friday so you want to go out”

“Obviously” Castiel agreed and just as the conversation was going to dwindle, the coffee machine finished its thing and Dean stood to fill their mugs. He watched as Dean poured the steaming liquid into both mugs before he poured a few sugar packets into one of them and stirred. When he had put the paper rubbish in the bin, he picked up both mugs and moved to where Castiel was seated and handed over the mug which he hadn’t added the extra sugar. “Thank you” Castiel mumbled as he took the offered mug and raised it to his lips before blowing across the steaming mug. He kept his eyes on Dean as he seated in the couch next to him.

“So what else do you do Cas?” Dean asked after he was seated, the cushion dipping slightly under the added weight. Castiel eyed Dean wearily at the nickname as he didn’t think they knew each other well enough for shortened versions of names just yet but instead of picking up on it, he just ignored it and carried on.

“Uh not a lot. I just do swimming and that’s about it really” Castiel replied as he tentatively sipped his mug. It had cooled down enough now that it wasn’t going to burn his tongue but still held the delicious warmth that Castiel nourished.

“Oh really?” Dean asked disbelieving as if he knew something about Castiel that he shouldn’t “Bobby tells me you have a bit of a reputation around here” Castiel simply shrugged his shoulders as he sipped on his coffee. He was not going to discuss his reputation with Dean – at least not yet anyway.

“What about you, _Dean_? They say those who can’t do, teach. So what’s your story?” Castiel asked as he turned himself so he was now facing Dean. He propped his right leg up on the couch with his back against the arm rest.

Dean shrugged “I have my reasons” Castiel couldn’t help but feel the need to know _what_ those reasons were but had the feeling Dean wasn’t about to tell him. So he nodded and continued to sip on his coffee before the silence got the best of him.

“Is there a way I can find out those reasons?” Castiel was blatantly flirting with Dean but the man seemed to be enjoying the attention and didn’t tell him to stop.

“Not when I’m sober” Dean replied with a small laugh and Castiel felt his stomach do a flip as he saw Dean smile for the first time because it was breath taking. His green eyes sparkled and crinkled at the side and his lips upturned.

“Is that an invitation to get you drunk?” Castiel asked with a small smile on his face as he looked over his mug. And with that, Dean stood from the couch and made his way over to where the sink was to wash out his cup. When he was done, Dean turned around and looked over at Castiel and raised his finger to point at the mug.

“Make sure you wash that out when you’re done” He smiled again and Castiel returned it with a small smile of his own along with a nod “Good. See you later Novak”

Castiel smiled as he finished his coffee. He was obviously getting somewhere with Dean and he really wanted to know where it was headed. There was no doubt they were both attracted to each other and Dean couldn’t be too much older than Castiel surely? And it’s not like he’s an actual teacher at the school just a coach and there were no rules against a student and coach getting together at least he didn’t think there was. Castiel shook his head of those thoughts. He was getting ahead of himself and that wouldn’t do with Dean in the room just next door.

Once he had finished, he moved over to the sink and washed his mug as Dean had told him to and left it on the dish rack to dry. He left the room a little perkier after having caffeine in his system. Just as he was about to disappear back into the student area, he decided to pay Dean a little visit. Silently, he stood in the doorway and watched as Dean concentrated on something on the computer screen in front of him.

“Don’t think this changes anything, Coach. I’m still not going to turn up on time.” Castiel shrugged “Just so you know”

Dean looked up from the screen and rolled his eyes at Castiel before another smile spread across his lips. “I didn’t think it would” Dean replied “Get out of here Novak. I’ll see you at Monday’s session” Castiel smirked and waved his hand at Dean before he made his leave. It looked like they were both up for the challenge but Castiel knew he wasn’t going to break so it was a matter of how long Dean would last.

Monday rolled around a lot faster than Castiel would have liked. When he arrived home on Friday after school, he collapsed onto his bed and didn’t resurface again till 8am the next morning. He hadn’t done that on a Friday night in a very long time and he was a little disappointed he didn’t get the chance to go out but Saturday was a new day and Castiel decided that he would definitely hit the clubs that night.

And club he did.

Castiel ended up completely plastered with his friend Crowley whom he had met when Meg was still around. The guy was a bit of a sleaze and would come onto Castiel quite often but Castiel had heard stories about him and would never go there. Instead, he had some fun and got himself wasted by hitting on people and getting them to buy him drinks. It was a good tactic and saved him a lot of money unless he was in the mood to go after a woman. If he was in that kind of mood, his bank account would look a little sad in the morning but since Dean had entered his life, Castiel felt the need to get that itch scratched by someone of the male orientation.

Late, Saturday night, or early Sunday morning, Castiel set his sights on a tall brunette with long hair and bright blue eyes. He found himself drawn into the tall, lean man and was soon grinding behind him on the dance floor.

Castiel wrapped his arms around the man’s – Jacob, Jake, Joseph? – waist as he whispered into the man’s ear and asked if he wanted to get out of there. Jacob/Jake/Joseph nodded his head and they left the building in a cab on route to Castiel’s apartment. Castiel fucked the man into the mattress and as his orgasm ripped through him, he felt the tension in his muscles ease away.

His bed mate was gone when Castiel awoke the next morning with a note on his bedside table saying the man had fun and left his name – Joseph – and number if Castiel wanted to do it again sometime. Castiel crumpled the note into a ball and threw it in the trash. Castiel had only ever slept with one person on more than one occasion and that was Meg. He wouldn’t let himself get tied down anytime soon. He was young and he was going to explore.

Castiel rocked up to training officially ten minutes late which was early by his standards. He had an impromptu make-out session with one of the cheerleaders out the back of the school where he usually had his weed break which caused him to be a little late for the start of their session. Dean wasn’t impressed but Castiel guessed he knew it was coming given their conversation on Friday.

“Novak” Dean called as soon as Castiel was stripped off. Castiel moved over to where Dean was stood and stared expectantly as he awaited what his punishment would be.

“Yes Coach?” Castiel asked innocently. He crossed his arms over his naked torso as he looked up at the older man. Dean eyed him out of the corner of his eye with his body still faced towards the pool and arms crossed over his chest once which once again pulled the fabric tight across his toned torso.

“Start the session, once you’re done I’ll grab a ten pound medicine ball” Dean stated before he resumed his focus to the pool. Castiel realised he was dismissed and made his way over to his lane to start the session. He couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander as to what Dean had in mind with a medicine ball but instead of settling on it, he focused on getting the session done and working on getting himself faster. When he was done, he looked up to Dean who had a small smug grin on his face that Castiel did not like the look of. Dean moved over to where Castiel was rested against the wall and stood over the starting block so he could still see out over the pool at the rest of the squad.

“I’ll be right back” He called down to Castiel who looked up just as Dean moved away and over to the door that led to the gym area. Castiel calmed his breathing as he waited for Dean to return.

When he did, he had a ten pound medicine ball in hand as he walked back over towards Castiel. As he carried it, it made his biceps stretch and the veins in his arms to pop out. Castiel found the sight quite arousing but cooled himself before it showed on his face. Dean walked all the way back to Castiel’s lane and placed the ball down on the wall next to the starting block for Castiel’s lane. Castiel stared up at Dean and waited for further instruction.

“So” Dean began as he looked down at his watch “You have thirty minutes left of the session and seeing you finished so early, that’s plenty of time to tread water with the ball above your head.” Castiel looked up at Dean with a hard expression to try and portray how unimpressed he was by this drill. Dean ignored him and continued “You will do five minutes with the ball, then five minutes without. Alternate between each every five minutes which will be signalled by my whistle. You will continue until I dismiss you.” Dean then walked off back to his usual position at half way.

Castiel rolled the ball into the pool with a splash and wiped the water away from his eyes before he pushed it out from the wall a bit so he would have room to move. He experimented with the weight for a moment before he decided it was best to get started otherwise Dean might make him do it past the end of training. In one last act of defiance, Castiel decided he would face Dean while he did just so he could show that there was no way Dean was going to break him.

Castiel’s legs started to move as he smirked over at Dean and rose himself out of the water slightly while he raised the ball above his head. He sank a bit in the water but his shoulders were still mostly exposed with his arms outstretched high above his head the ball firm in his grip. Dean looked over at him one last time before he turned his stare to the rest of the squad and coached them.

As his legs moved, Castiel kept his eyes on Dean the entire time hardly blinking. He could tell that Dean could feel his eyes on him as he looked uncomfortable and avoided looking in the direction Castiel was sat treading water. Castiel’s arms started to feel the burn near the end of the first five minutes but as soon as Dean blew his whistle to tell Castiel that the time was up, Castiel slowly dropped the ball down as not to give away how tired his arms were and continued to move his legs. His legs weren’t too tired as he had done this activity many times before however the medicine ball was a new addition. Dean certainly didn’t lack creativity.

All too soon, the five minutes without the ball was over and Dean’s whistle blew again. Castiel picked up the ball and held it high over his head once again the droplets of water falling off the ball and onto his head annoyingly. Some of the water was getting into his eyes and became irritating and he regretted leaving his goggles on the wall but he refused to give in and he refused to break his gaze from Dean’s face as the man was so delicious to look at.

Soon, Castiel found himself distracted from the burn in his forearms and biceps and was more focused on the fullness of Dean’s lips, the slight stubble that graced his cheeks and how his hair was always perfectly tousled and just the right length to grip onto. Castiel’s blood ran south and he could feel his dick twitch in his trunks as he eyed the man more. Dean’s arms were crossed across his chest which revealed how toned the coach was. It did nothing to stint Castiel’s arousal as all he could think of was how he wanted to test how strong those arms really were.

The whistle blowing snapped Castiel out of his thoughts and allowed him to drop the ball to the water. He was free to wipe the water from his eyes and to push his hair back once again. He still kept his sight on Dean while he waited the five minutes out.

The rhythm continued as the minutes passed and Castiel ended up lost in fantasy after fantasy of things he wanted to do to Dean – with Dean. The ideas in his head distracted him from the ache in his arms. His legs were okay for once as treading water wasn’t too hard to do but supporting a ten pound weight, even though it did not sound heavy, above his head was hard work and his arms protested against it. It wasn’t until everyone was long gone that Dean finally let Castiel stop.

“Alright Cas, put the ball down and climb out” Dean called from where he was sat on the bench looking at his smart phone “I want to go home”

Castiel dropped the ball with a splash and swam it over to the wall before he lifted it up onto the side of the pool with the last bit of strength he had left in his arms. Dean had made his way over during that time and squatted down next to where Castiel was slumped against the wall panting.

“So are you going to be on time next session or are we going to continue this little game of yours?” Dean asked with a wry smile

“I think you know the answer to that” Castiel replied with a wink. The reacting blush he received for his efforts was completely worth it.

Dean cleared his throat awkwardly as Castiel stifled a laugh before he spoke again “Well then, I’ll see you next training” and he left leaving Castiel tired and horny as he watched Dean’s ass disappear into the offices.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I've taken so long. If you follow my Tumblr you'll probably know the story but real life got busy and every time I tried to sit down and write something else would come up. I planned to have this done last week but I just ran out of time. So I finally have the chapter done and I had this one edited and ready to go for you all. Things are calming down at the moment so hopefully this time next week I'll have another chapter for you :)

As soon as Castiel was home, he shrugged off his backpack and chucked it to the side of the door forgotten. First Castiel made his way upstairs to the spare room where he had his extensive music collection stored. He had shelves upon shelves all sorted alphabetically by artist of vinyl records that he had inherited from his father. Castiel had added to the collection over the years and bought the albums that his father was missing. The teen knew exactly where each album was located and knew the exact one he was in the mood for after a long day. He picked out the cover with ease and removed the record from its case carefully before putting it on to play.

Soon, the sound of Bob Dylan filled his ears as it flowed from the speakers that were located throughout his apartment. It was his father’s favourite singer and Castiel had grown up with the sound. It relaxed him immediately after a long day and as soon as the cords hit his ears, Castiel closed his eyes and hummed along before his stomach rudely interrupted with a loud growl. He was starving and his upper body ached from training along with fatigue from a long day at school. Castiel made his way back down the stairs and padded across to the fridge and opened it to find it reasonably full after his shop yesterday and sought out the ingredients to make a chicken stir-fry.

With the boneless chicken thigh packet, celery, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, fresh green beans, and an onion in hand, Castiel made his way to the bench where he opened his arms and let everything fall unceremoniously onto the counter. He had to save the onion from rolling off but with quick reflexes, it was an easy catch. Once everything was chopped, he fetched a frying pan and put it on the stove to heat up while he grabbed the oil, peanuts, soy sauce, and chicken stock from the cupboard. He sprinkled enough oil into the pan and watched as it sizzled indicating the pan was hot enough to start cooking. While the oil heated up, Castiel grabbed a pot and filled it with water before he put it on to boil for his pasta later.

First to go in was the diced onion which he browned lightly before he added the chicken. Castiel was in his element when he cooked. He loved it but often was too tired to cook more than a couple times a week. More often than not, he would make enough, when he did cook, that there would be leftovers that he could eat the next night. Usually, he would cook on the days he didn’t have training but seeing he had shopped yesterday, he had been looking forward to chicken stir-fry all day. When the chicken was a healthy brown colour, Castiel added the vegetables to the pan and stirred them all together. It was times like this that he wished he had a wok so he could do it easier but he made do with what he had. After a few minutes, Castiel added the chicken stock and soy sauce to the mix and made sure to get it right through to get the most out of the flavour.

Castiel stood back from the pan and left it to simmer while he grabbed the packet of pasta from the top of the fridge. He chopped the corner with a pair of scissors from the drawer and poured about half the bag into the boiling water. He twisted the plastic around before he grabbed a twisty tie to seal the end and placed the bag back on top of the fridge. He wandered back to the stove to stir the food a little. The pasta wouldn’t take too long to cook so while he waited for his meal to finish, Castiel returned to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of _Asahi_. He popped the cap with a hiss and took a large gulp before he let out a satisfied sigh. Beer after a long day was just what he wanted.

The aroma in the kitchen got to him and his stomach growled in protest once again at the lack of food since before his training session. To ease his mind while his food simmered and his pasta cooked, Castiel started to clean up the dishes that had accumulated on the bench top. Once it was all cleared away and he had wiped down the bench, he checked on the pasta and figured it was about done. He grabbed a spoon and scooped out a piece to give it a try and smiled as he bit into the al dente spiral.

Humming as he went, Castiel opened the cabinet that held his bowls and grabbed two. Castiel turned off the stove once he placed the bowls on the counter and grabbed the pot with the pasta to strain into the sink. With the water gone, Castiel piled the pasta evenly into both bowls before he set the pot in the sink and grabbed the spoon to serve the stir-fry into the bowls. He mixed it all together before he grabbed one of the bowls – seasoned it – his beer, and a fork and made his way to the couch. He set his beer down on the side table near the armrest of the couch as he sank into the cushions where he ate to the sound of Bob Dylan’s _Let It Be Me_ filled the room.

As he finished his meal, he felt his mind drifting to his training session and his thoughts that had run through his mind to distract himself from the pain in his arms. Castiel felt his arousal build and his dick twitch in his sweats as he thought of Dean knelt between his spread legs where he sat now, sucking on his cock. God how he wanted it to happen. Castiel cast his now empty bowl to the floor and leant his head back on the back of the couch and closed his eyes while one hand rested on his thigh the other made its way to his mouth where he licked his palm until it was wet. When he was satisfied, Castiel used his dry hand to slip his sweats down his thighs to release his now hard erection. It slapped against his hoodie which made Castiel hitch it up and off before he threw it to the other side of the large three-person couch so he didn’t make a mess of his favourite piece of clothing.

With it safely out of the way, Castiel slowly wrapped his spit soaked hand around his shaft and let out a small gasp. His mind was lost in thoughts of Dean and how it would feel to have the man’s mouth locked around his cock. He knew the man would tease and would drive Castiel insane before he let him have it all, so reluctantly, Castiel released his hold. His fingers moved feather light up his length before he used two of his fingers to slide around the head and gathered the pre-cum that had started to leak. He imagined it was Dean’s tongue that lapped and swirled at his head and the thought had loud groans fall from his mouth.

His hips rocked up into the light touches as he teased himself before the sensation became too much and not enough all at the same time. He wanted more and he knew Dean would make him beg. Knew that the man would want him to surrender before he gave Castiel what he wanted. He knew he would do that because it was exactly what he would do. They were both stubborn and would never back down unless they would benefit from it. It would make them impossibly great in bed together. With his thoughts going wild, Castiel needed more. He wrapped his hand around his shaft and vigorously pumped himself in search on his release no longer willing to tease himself. Sometimes, he could go for long periods of time where he would tease himself to the edge only to fall back again. Tonight was not one of those times. He had been horny ever since the training session and he needed to get off.

Castiel flipped himself so he was lying on the couch before he grabbed one of the couch pillows and placed it between his legs. With his arms braced on the armrest of the couch, knees pressed firmly into the seat cushions, back arched and head thrown back, his hips ground into the pillow and he let out a hearty moan at the sensation. He thought of what it would be like to take Dean. How Dean would be a pushy bottom and order Castiel around while he fucked into him. Castiel clenched his teeth as he fucked his hips harder into the pillow and imagined the slap of his balls against Dean’s ass. He groaned as his dick slid along the fabric of the cushion and relished the feel of the smoothness along his sensitive skin.

His hips continued to rock and fuck at a faster pace as his apartment filled with loud groans and moans. Castiel could feel the familiar heat pool inside him as he chased his orgasm. As his thoughts ran wild with what it would be like with Dean, how it would feel if Dean were the one to take him. Castiel gasped for air as a silent ‘Dean’ passed his lips while he came to the thought of Dean pressing him down with a hand to the back of his head with the other gripping his hip tight as he was pounded into. White hot streams of cum pulsed from his member and all over the cushion where the rhythm of his hips stuttered before it came to a standstill and he collapsed onto the couch exhausted, sated and out of breath.

As he came back to himself, Castiel heaved himself up to his knees and pulled the pillow out to inspect the damage. It was nothing a quick wash couldn’t fix so Castiel stripped the pillow case off and inspected the pillow at the same time. The thickness of the fabric meant, luckily, none of semen stained the pillow. As he had to wash the sleeve anyway, Castiel used the fabric to wipe down his softened member before he stood and slipped his sweats the rest of the way down so they pooled at his feet. On shaky legs, Castiel padded across the room naked to the bathroom where he turned the washer on and threw the stained material in with some fabric softener to clean the sleeve.

Once the wash cycle was underway, Castiel moved to the basin and grabbed a cloth which he could wet and clean the excess stickiness from his skin that he couldn’t get off with the pillow case. When he was satisfied, he put it in the wash and moved out the room to gather his sweats and hoodie again. He felt the craving for a joint surface and needed clothes on before he went outside. He decided not to bother with the hoodie as the temperature was still quite mild outside and knew he could survive without it.

Castiel made his way over to his stairs and bent down to grab his backpack so he could grab his weed tin that had his already rolled joints stored inside as well as a few normal cigarettes that he hardly ever smoked. The case was a plain metal one with his name along with a picture of the wings he had tattooed on his back engraved on the front. It was a gift from Meg on his seventeenth birthday so he was quite fond of the case and would be rather pissed off if something ever happened to it.

He grabbed a joint and slipped it out of the case before he returned it to the pocket in his backpack and grabbed his lighter that was in the pocket of the jeans he had worn to school that day. His lighter was just a plain metal zippo one that could be easily replaced if he lost it which he tended to do quite often. If he had a rather drunken night out, Castiel usually found himself offering his lighter to someone, forgetting about it and then leaving without getting it back. He wouldn’t even notice it missing until he needed a light. However, his case he kept close and would never allow someone else to handle it unless he knew them well.

In no time at all, Castiel was leant against the railing of his balcony that overlooked the city skyline. The sun had long since disappeared and the city was lit up with street lights and car headlights. The sound of car engines and tooting horns filled the air as Castiel smoked leisurely on his joint. He couldn’t help but feel that on nights like these, in this huge city surrounded by thousands of people, that he was desperately lonely. He had no real friends other than Meg who abandoned him and moved across the country. Sure he had his teammates but they weren’t his real friends. They were people he socialised with during school hours and at team trainings. Outside of that, they had their own lives and Castiel wasn’t involved in any of that. All Castiel had was his group of ‘friends’ that he went out on the town with that Meg had introduced him to.

With a flick of his fingers, the burnt joint was on the ground and promptly stood on to extinguish it. He pushed all the emotions from his mind and reminded himself it would get better. He only had his senior year left and then that was it; he was off to college, hopefully on a scholarship to an elite college with a strong swim team. Once he was there, he knew he would make friends; real friends. Friends that asked him out to do things like watch movies and go to the mall with them not ones that asked if he wanted to come get drunk with them and then proceed to hit on him at every opportunity.

As Castiel made his way back down to the base floor, he quickly grabbed his bowl and drank the rest of the contents of his beer bottle before he washed up all the dishes and left them to dry in the dish rack. When he was satisfied, he made his way to his desk to get started on the homework that was due next week. He could still feel the dull ache in his arms from the training session with Dean as he worked and soon found himself distracted once again by the thoughts of his coach. He had such a strong attraction to him that it was going to be excruciatingly difficult to ignore during every training session that they would have together for the entire swim season. The only way he could think to overcome this would be to fuck him and get it over and done with it was either that or ignore it. However, he knew ignoring it wasn’t going to be an option as he had just humped a pillow to thoughts of Dean.

With that thought in mind, it was decided. Castiel was going to seduce his coach.

Homework pushed aside for the night, Castiel stood from his desk and picked up his wet gear from his bag and put it in the dryer with the pillow case and cloth before he stripped off his sweats and climbed into his too-large-for-one bed naked. It was the luxury of living alone that he could do as he wished in his apartment but as he lay buried in the covers the pang of loneliness hit him again but was once again pushed from his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

In the days that followed, Castiel spent every opportunity he could with Dean. During his lunch breaks he would make his way to the PE department where he would knock on Dean’s door. Most of the time, the coach would be hard at work and looked way out of his depth. Castiel found the sight utterly adorable.

“Hey Coach, need a break?” Castiel greeted one Thursday lunch time. Dean looked up from his computer to the door with wide eyes before they softened as they laid on Castiel. Castiel had to hide the smile that was going to play across his lips at the sight. He knew that Dean shared the attraction from how he would look at Castiel with a hungry gaze when he thought Castiel wasn’t watching. There was the also blatantly obvious flirting that the two would share during their short meetings. Most of the time it would be Castiel doing the flirting but Dean would never tell him to back off or tell him to stop. More often than not, Dean would harmlessly return the flirting or give Castiel one of his toothy grins that made his eyes wrinkle at the corners. On rare occasions, Dean would be the one to start it and Castiel would always welcome it before he played on it more.

Castiel learned a lot about Dean during their short exchanges. He learnt all about Dean’s love of classic rock and when Castiel told him that he too loved the sound of Metallica, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and the like, Castiel saw a glint in Dean’s eyes that hadn’t been there before. As the two sipped their coffee that day, they argued over what songs were the best and which album was the all-time greatest. Castiel would always bring it back to harmless flirting however, and told Dean that he should come over sometime and see Castiel’s extensive collection of records that he had stored in his spare bedroom as well as his kickass sound system that played throughout his entire apartment. Dean would just flash Castiel his winning smile and reply with a non-committal ‘maybe’ before he would change the subject to another topic.

They would talk about their cars and Dean would go on for nearly the entire lunch break about his beloved Impala sometimes repeating himself. Castiel found he didn’t mind though as he could see the passion Dean had for his car in his eyes and Castiel couldn’t help but want to see that look when he talked about him. Castiel wasn’t sure when his desire went from wanting to bed Dean to wanting a relationship with Dean but for some reason, Castiel found he didn’t care. He wanted to be with Dean. The man before him had so many layers to him and during their conversations Castiel knew he had only ever scratched the surface. He knew there was more to Dean than materialistic objects and Castiel wanted to know more. He wanted to know about Dean’s family and everything that made up the attractive man before him.

Family was a topic they had both avoided but it was never something that came up. Castiel got the feeling that Dean was holding himself back from opening up to Castiel but for some reason Castiel could feel that he was getting closer to having Dean unravel before him.

Training sessions remained the same. Dean would turn into coach mode and would dish out punishment to Castiel for turning up late to training as usual but now, it wasn’t because Castiel had an impromptu session with some pretty thing behind the bleachers it was because he wasn’t going to give the satisfaction to Dean of turning up on time. Castiel would hang back in the library and finish some school work before he’d head over to the gym and change into his swim gear. Of course, Dean would have found some new creative session for him once had finished the training regime which would lead to the two being alone at the end of the session as Castiel finished his punishment. It was then that the flirting would resume and their friendly conversation would continue as Castiel warmed down and stretched out his muscles on pool side. Castiel could always feel the heat of Dean’s gaze as he stretched and he always made sure to over exaggerate to give Dean a show but whenever Castiel looked over, Dean would avert his gaze and they’d go back to their game of cat and mouse.

It wasn’t until Friday, two weeks after Castiel started his mission to get Dean, that he was finally given the opportunity to make a move.

Castiel once again had made his way to Dean’s office for their unofficial lunch break meet up when he stopped short of Dean’s door as he heard one half of a phone conversation.

“No, Charlie” he heard Dean speak exasperated “I am not going to be your wing man tonight”

Castiel moved to the side of the hallway and pressed himself close to the doorway as he could so he could clearly hear Dean but wouldn’t be seen.

“Why?” Dean continued “Because you’re a chick and I’m a dude. That’s why” Dean replied and Castiel almost chuckled at the absurdity of Dean’s argument.

“No, Charlie. I am not going to a gay bar with you”

Castiel froze. Dean was being asked to go out to a gay bar? Castiel’s heart pounded in his chest he desperately wanted for this Charlie figure to twist Dean’s arm and drag him out just so Castiel could conveniently be at the same bar as them and possibly finally close in on Dean.

“Charlie, just no. You know why. I just…” Dean trailed off and left the rest of the sentence unsaid. Castiel’s thoughts rain wild as to what that could have been. Had Dean been dumped?

“Fine” Dean said with a growl. “If it will make you shut up I’ll go with you. But you owe me big time.”

Castiel was grinning. Dean was going out on the town tonight now he just needed to know which club they were going to.

“What was this place called again?” Dean asked “Delta? Alright I’ll see you there”

Castiel grinned emphatically. He knew where Dean was going to be tonight and surprisingly it was a club that he frequented quite often which meant he would have no trouble getting in. The unfortunate downside meant that Castiel’s usual group, consisting of Crowley, would also be there. However, it would be a good cover as to why he was there in the first place because there was no way Castiel was going to admit to hearing the private conversation he had just heard. If he did, Dean would probably end up bailing or getting angry at Castiel if he showed up and that couldn’t happen.

Dean shuffling paper in his office snapped Castiel out of his reprieve as he realised he had been stood in the hall, pressed against the door for a good while. If another teacher came along, he would be found out and it would pretty difficult to explain why he was pressed against the wall outside Dean’s office.

Castiel pushed off the wall and knocked on Dean’s door and walked inside like he normally did with a smile plastered on his face. “Hey Coach, coffee?” he asked as he watched Dean behind his computer screen. He looked up at Castiel with a smile and nodded.

“You know me Cas, can’t live without it” He said with a wink.

Castiel simply smiled in reply before he turned on his heel and made his way to make them both their coffee. When he returned, they fell into their normal conversation except this time, Castiel was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of what tonight could turn into. He was already running his entire wardrobe through his mind as to what to wear and decided that he would have to go to the mall after school to find something.

“You okay, Cas?” Dean asked with a questioning look in his eyes “You seem a little distracted”

Castiel shook his head and sent what he hoped was a reassuring smile in Dean’s direction. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired”

Dean flashed him a cocky grin “Guess you don’t like Butterfly suicides huh?”

Castiel just rolled his eyes and downed the last sip of his coffee before he stood to his feet and left the room to wash his cup. When he was done he returned to Dean’s office and stood in the doorway.

“I’ll see you later, Coach” Castiel said with a wink before he turned and left with a small grin of anticipation on his face. He really couldn’t wait.

After hours of waiting, the final school bell rang and the student body was released to enjoy their weekend. As Castiel strolled down the hall, he could feel the buzz that was always present at this time on a Friday. Everyone was always amped for the weekend and Friday night was usually the night that the football jocks would throw their parties for the popular kids. Castiel was always invited to these but seldom ever went, even when Meg was present. He liked the college parties, and the clubbing scene a hell of a lot more than hanging out with people his own age. Most of them seemed nauseatingly immature with most of them faking drunk or high. It was over-rated and Castiel elected to ignore the scene all together. They could have their juvenile fun while he went and played with the big boys and tonight, that was going to be one Dean Winchester.

A short thirty minute drive later, and Castiel had arrived at the mall and was roaming around his favourite store. He really had no idea what he was going to wear tonight he just knew that he wanted to look good. Castiel was stood staring at the jean section when a tall, busty blonde came up to him.

“Hey cutie, you need some help?” She spoke eyeing Castiel.

Normally in a situation like this, Castiel would definitely be flirting back. He would be use everything in his artillery to woo this girl into the back changing rooms but with the prospect of being with Dean that night, he just didn’t want to and that should have freaked him out but it didn’t.

“Uh…” Castiel spoke unsure of his own thoughts and where they were at. “I’m looking to impress someone tonight and I don’t know what to wear”

“Well,” she said as she looked Castiel up and down “I think you would impress anyone wearing sweatpants and a hoodie given what a hottie you are” she flirted and Castiel couldn’t hold the grin that he sent back.

“Thank you but I do really need to find something for tonight” Castiel replied trying to hold back his flirtation. He didn’t want to lead this girl on only to have to turn her down. He knew it was shallow of him to think that this girl wanted him but with the way she was looking at him and playing with her hair, he knew it to be true. He just needed her help, and then he would be gone.

“Alright well, how much are you willing to spend” her flirtation was gone all of a sudden as if she knew that Castiel wasn’t interested and was now in full sale mode.

“Money isn’t an issue” Castiel replied honestly

“Well then,” she smiled “Let’s get to it”

An hour later, Castiel walked out of the store with a brand new outfit that he believed, with the assurance of the lovely helper, Tiffany, would be irresistible to Dean.

“Good luck” Tiffany called out to him as he walked past the security gates.

“Thank you” He called back before he made his way to his car with a grin on his face. The excitement that had been coursing through his veins since he overheard the phone conversation had picked up into overdrive. There was still at least four hours until he would be able to go to the club and he really couldn’t wait. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next one were both really fun to write so I hope you like them :) Thanks for all the comments and kudos you are all amazing :)

Castiel walked into the club a little after nine. He knew he was unbelievably early but he couldn’t take sitting around home waiting for the clock to hit a decent hour before he left. Instead, he decided to shower and dress and head to the club. Before he left, he had checked himself out in his full length mirror that hung on the door of his wardrobe and couldn’t help but grin.

The black skinny jeans he was dressed in hugged his figure as if they were tailored to fit him and showed off his ass as well as his muscular thighs. He wore a dark grey button down with the top couple of buttons open to reveal a hint of skin as well as the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Overtop, he’s donned a black waistcoat. When at the store, Tiffany had tried to get him to wear a tie to finish the ensemble but Castiel knew he would just tug at it all evening until it hung loose around his neck. There was also the problem that he didn’t know how to tie it properly and was always left with it tied backwards. Tiffany had given a sympathetic look while she tried hopelessly to hold back her laughter. She wished him luck in finding someone who could tie his ties for him. To complete his outfit, Castiel wore black loafers that he had polished and shined that afternoon. He really couldn’t wait to see Dean’s reaction.

Around seven, Castiel had received a message from Crowley which read that he and his cronies would be at Hellhounds tonight which had surprised the teen. Crowley was almost always at Delta but Castiel couldn’t help but find it a bit of relief that Crowley wouldn’t be there. The man no doubt would have hit on Castiel the entire evening while Castiel scoped out the place for Dean. Even if he had told Crowley that he was waiting for someone, Crowley would have still tried to get into Castiel’s pants. The man never took no for an answer which aggravated him to no end. Why did people need to come up with reasons as to why they weren’t interested? Surely ‘no’ was a good enough reason. Whenever Castiel tried to pick someone up, if they turned him down, that was the end of it. He didn’t try to persuade them to go home with him. It was the respectful way to deal with people and he wished that more people shared his view.

The club was rather empty which didn’t surprise Castiel. Usually, as he travelled down the long corridor, there would be people lined up either just having a conversation where the music wasn’t too loud or were in the process of leaving but this time, there was no one to be seen. As he exited the hall, he glanced around the huge room that could easily house at least 500 party goers only to find small scatters of people spread around the tables and booths off to the side with no one quite brave enough to occupy the dance floor.

Castiel took a deep breath to calm himself down before he sauntered confidentially over to the bar where he took a seat. There were a couple of ladies down the far end sipping at some fruity contraption while they were engrossed in a conversation with each other. They didn’t even look up as Castiel took a seat and hollered at the bartender to get his attention. He was busy loading the clean glasses onto the shelf no doubt in preparation for the rush that would arrive in a matter of hours. His hands were shaking from nervous excitement and he really needed a drink if he was going to be composed for when Dean arrived.

When the bartender finally made his way over to him, Castiel was greeted with a familiar face.

“Hey there Castiel,” Tony, the bartender greeted “Haven’t you seen you in here for a while. The usual?”

Castiel smiled back and nodded his head in affirmation “Yeah I know it’s been a while” Castiel replied as he watched Tony make him his drink; a cranberry and vodka cocktail.

Tony took a moment to look down at the watch on his wrist and frowned before he looked back to Castiel’s face “You’re here early” he commented

Castiel nodded once again “Yeah… I uh… I’m trying to make an impression on someone and I don’t know when they will arrive”

Tony’s face lit up with a knowing grin “Anyone I know?”

Castiel shook his head with a chuckle “I don’t think so” Tony placed Castiel’s drink on the bar and slid it over to him. Just as Castiel reached for his wallet, Tony raised his hand.

“On the house” he smiled “Just make sure you get your man”

Castiel smiled back at the man. If it had been any other night, Castiel might have flirted his way into going home with the man. He had always found the man attractive and he knew Tony returned the sentiment but they had never acted on it. There had just never been a good time and it seemed like there never would be.

Tony was soon whistled at by the two ladies down the far end who had finished their drinks and obviously wanted more. Castiel took hold of his drink and spun on his stool with his right elbow perched on the bar so he could take in the scene at the empty club. There were a few people dancing now but not as many as there normally was when Castiel was in the establishment but it was slowly filling up and there was a steady stream of people that filed out of the entry hall. Castiel scanned the room and even though it was rather dark except for the dance lights, he was confident Dean was not in the building.

Castiel sipped at his drink while he let his thoughts run away as to what would happen when Dean arrived. Was he going to head over straight away and ask him to dance? Or was he going to lay some groundwork first and see how Dean reacted to the place before he made his move? One thing was for sure though; he was not going to let anyone else near Dean. He was so close to getting what he wanted and there was no way he was going to allow anyone to swoop in and take him without a fight.

Just as Castiel started to get angry over the imaginary person trying to hit on Dean, a hand landed on his shoulder. Castiel looked at the hand and followed the arm up to the face of its owner only to be greeted by spiked blonde hair, piercing blue-grey eyes, and a black v-neck.

“Hey Cassie” Balthazar greeted as he removed his hand and took the unoccupied stool next to Castiel. He ordered himself a beer before he turned to look at Castiel again “Where’s the rest of your cronies?”

Castiel knew that his team mate was referring to Crowley and his crew and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “They are not my ‘cronies’ and don’t call me that” he detested the nickname that Balthazar and Gabriel refused to drop and he made sure to tell them every time they used it. The distain in his voice was evident, but Balthazar was either too happy to notice or just ignored it. Castiel believed it to be the latter.

“So what are you doing here all by yourself then?” Balthazar asked as he sipped his beer. The man had mirrored Castiel’s position on the bar and had started to scan the room.

“Waiting for someone” Castiel answered vaguely. He had never been a good liar and to get around it he used partial truths; most of the time it worked.

“Ah huh” Balthazar replied obviously not buying what Castiel was selling “And _who_ might this someone be?”

Castiel bit down on his lower lip. He had no idea how to answer that. There was no way he was going to be able to tell his teammate that he was pursuing their coach tonight but he couldn’t not tell him either as he was no doubt going to keep an eye on Castiel to see who he was trying to make headway with. Instead of answering, Castiel finished off his drink and turned back to the bar to place the glass down. He motioned for Tony to bring him over a beer and once he had paid for it, he turned back to his original position and took a long gulp and hoped that the vodka in his system would take effect sooner rather than later. Of course, Castiel had a high tolerance after all his partying so it would be quite a few standard drinks before he would feel any effect.

When Castiel removed the bottle from his lips and chanced a glance up to the man sat beside him, he was greeted with a ‘tell-me-or-I’ll-beat-it-out-of-you’ glare. With a sigh, Castiel turned in his seat so he faced Balthazar directly.

“If I tell you,” he began “You have to promise you will not tell another living soul. You also have to promise that if anything happens between said person and I tonight, that you will not let this person know that you know or I will personally beat your ass to a pulp” Balthazar’s eyes widened as he saw the truth behind the threat which caused a thrill of satisfaction to flood through Castiel’s body. The man slowly nodded but Castiel did not want just a body language answer. “You need to say it out loud. Promise me that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone. Whatever you see or hear is not to leave this club”

“Yes Cassie,” When Castiel glared at the use of the nickname, Balthazar corrected himself “Castiel. I promise I will not tell another living soul. Now who the hell is it?”

Castiel let out a small breath before he resigned to the fact that he had to tell him.

“Coach Winchester”

“What!?” Balthazar yelled “You have got to be kidding me? You managed to score a date with him?”

Castiel blushed and looked away while he bit his lip “Not exactly”

“Then what?” Balthazar asked confused

Castiel sighed, took another long pull from his beer and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “I may have overheard a phone conversation he had with someone whom he said he would be a wingman for tonight”

Castiel looked up to see Balthazar grinning like a Cheshire cat “Cassie you sly dog. I knew you two have been flirting ever since he arrived but never thought you’d make a move on it”

“Well I haven’t yet” Castiel admitted as he took another sip from his beer “But that’s why I’m here tonight. To finally make some progress”

Balthazar clasped him on the shoulder “Well by the looks he’s thrown your way at training I’m pretty sure you’re in”

“Yeah. Here’s hoping” Castiel raised his beer and nodded to Balthazar who did the same before they both downed the rest of their drinks.

They ordered more and fell into an easy conversation to pass the time. Balthazar had claimed he needed to escape from his over-bearing parents which was why he had made such an early appearance at the club himself. As their conversation carried on, Castiel found himself distracted from the fact that Dean could arrive at any time and instead was very engrossed in his conversation with his teammate. He found that he really had sold Balthazar short in the fact that he hardly ever interacted with him outside of training and the occasional meal they would share on a Friday morning. Balthazar was a fun guy to be around and Castiel couldn’t stop the feeling that he should make more an effort with him to be friends.

Four more beers and two jäger bombs each later, Castiel had a healthy buzz and so did the man next to him. They had steadily intoxicated themselves while they waited for Dean to show up with one eye on the door. Castiel’s nerves had dissipated somewhat to the point that he just felt a dull churn in his gut at the thought that Dean would most likely be there any moment.

As Castiel finished his fifth beer, he turned towards the door and his breath caught in his throat. Dean was stood at the end of the entry hall and was eyeing the scene before him with nervous eyes as if it was his first time in a LBGT friendly club. For all Castiel knew, it was. Castiel’s eyes raked over Dean’s form and even over the distance that separated them, he could see the tone of Dean’s chest and his cut biceps and forearms through the thin, black cotton Henley he wore. He had a brown leather jacket draped over his left arm which covered most of his front from Castiel’s view along with the people that were in the way but that didn’t stop the arousal that had pooled in Castiel’s groin. His eyes glided up further to take in Dean’s finger spiked hair and his perfect plump lips that Dean ran his tongue over nervously.

Suddenly, Dean turned away and looked back up the entry hall no doubt to look for the friend he was to be a wing man for. Not a second later, a bouncy red haired woman looped her arm through Dean’s and dragged him towards the bar where Castiel was still seated.

_Shit._

“Balthazar” Castiel hissed to his friend who was speaking with a brunette to his side “Balthazar!” Castiel hissed louder and raised his hand to shake his shoulder with one eye still firmly on Dean who was quickly approaching the bar.

“What Cassie? Can’t you see I’m a little busy talking to this lovely lady?” Balthazar tried to keep his tone calm but Castiel could hear the tension in his voice.

“Yes I’m sorry but _Dean_ is on his way over here. Right now” Castiel didn’t know what the hell was happening. He was never this nervous when he was trying to pick someone up but with Dean it was just all so different. Castiel believed it to be the fact that he had spent weeks pining after the man and the fact that they had both flirted back and forth since the get go. It was undeniable how much he wanted this man. He knew it was going to be more than a one off thing. He knew that he would have to be with Dean in more than a physical sense if he was going to get any fulfilment out of tonight but he would need to take one step at a time at that first step was getting the hell away from the bar so they weren’t found out so early in the night.

“Oh shit” Balthazar replied as he looked where Castiel was keeping an eye “Okay let’s move to the booths” Balthazar stood and grabbed the girl’s hand he had been speaking too before he moved away from the bar. Castiel quickly stood and followed suit as they fought their way through the built up crowd to find a booth. Surprisingly, there was still a free one and they quickly occupied it before anyone else could.

Once they were seated, Castiel glanced over to the bar to see Dean sip at his beer nervously while the red head next to him chattered excitedly. Castiel felt sorry for the man as he was so clearly out of his depth but wanted to help out his friend. Since Dean had moved, Castiel could finally take in his entire appearance. The man had on tight black jeans that hugged his ass and defined his bow legs deliciously as well as black combat boots that, if he had not been seated, would cause Castiel to go weak at the knees. The man was absolutely gorgeous.

“So what’s your plan? Stare at him all night and hope he notices you?” Balthazar teased as his lady friend stood up to head to the restroom.

Castiel scowled over at the blonde “No” he growled “I was going to wait till he had a few drinks then approach him”

Balthazar nodded “Seems like an okay plan except for the fact that there’s already someone else eyeing him up” His teammate raised his eyebrows over Castiel’s shoulder towards the bar.

“What?” Castiel yelled as he spun his head around so fast that he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. When he turned his eyes to Dean, he indeed saw that there was someone already trying to start a conversation. Trying and not succeeding. Dean waved the man off with a shake of his head no doubt telling the man he wasn’t interested. The man however didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer.

Before Castiel knew what was happening, he was on his feet and had ignored the protests of Balthazar behind him so he could make his way over to Dean. All too soon, Castiel was stood behind Dean and sent a glare over Dean’s shoulder to the person that _still_ ignored Dean’s protests that he wasn’t interested. When the man finally looked over Dean’s shoulder to see Castiel’s glare, he had the audacity to smirk before he stepped closer into Dean’s personal space and once again asked if Dean wanted to dance. Without thinking twice, Castiel slipped his hands around Dean’s waist and rested his head on Dean’s shoulder before he turned his head so he could speak into Dean’s ear. He felt Dean tense beneath his touch but he made no move to shove Castiel off him.

“Is this guy bothering you, baby?” Castiel purred into Dean’s ear loud enough for the unwanted man to here while he continued to glare over at the stranger who had thankfully gotten the hint and had taken a step back.

“Sorry, I didn’t know” he blurted nervously before he turned and left the bar area to no doubt find some other person to annoy.

When the man was gone, Castiel reluctantly let go of the hold he had on Dean. He already missed the warmth and Dean’s smell. God, he had only been there for a matter of moments yet the scent he had inhaled had him light-headed. Everything about Dean was utterly intoxicating and Castiel wanted, _needed_ more of it. However, when Dean finally turned around to see Castiel, his eyes widened to that of shock.

“Cas?” He asked completely dumbfounded as to why Castiel was saving him from some man. “What are you doing here?”

Castiel bit on his lip as he looked up at Dean. He searched his eyes to see if there was anything negative in them but all he saw was confusion and surprise. Castiel mentally rejoiced that Dean wasn’t angry that he was there.

“I… uh… was going to have a night out with Balthazar” he lied “I saw you having some trouble with that assbutt so I decided to come and lend a hand to get rid of him. Some people just don’t know what no means” he finished angrily. It really grinded his gears when people refused to be rejected.

When Castiel looked up, Dean had a grin on his face “Well thanks but I think I could have handled him”

“I’m sure you could have” Castiel admitted “Maybe I just wanted to get close to you” he flirted. It was nothing they hadn’t said before to each other but for some reason being in a night club with alcohol in his system, he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach. He was really flirting with Dean and he was doing in a place that they could act on it and not be worried someone could catch them.

Dean smirked over at him before he shook his head and turned back to the bar that was incredibly busy with people trying to order drinks. Dean tried to wave down Tony but had no success as the demand was high.

Castiel saw his opportunity to impress, and pounced.

“Tony!” he called out “Two beers”

Tony looked over to Castiel and nodded. He came over a couple of seconds later with two beers and placed them on the bar before he smoothly popped the caps.

“Have a good one boys” he winked at Castiel as he took the cash he had offered. Castiel picked up his beer and took a sip before he turned his attention back to Dean who was stood with his mouth agape.

“How did you do that?” Dean asked once he had composed himself and picked up his drink.

“I know him” Castiel shrugged

For a moment, Castiel thought he saw a glint of jealousy in Dean’s eyes but as soon as it was there it was gone and Dean had cooled his emotions.

“Do you want to dance?” Castiel asked after another pull of his beer. He knew that he was being bold and probably being a bit too eager but the alcohol in his system had clouded his judgement and all he knew was that Dean Winchester was stood before him and was not pushing him away or telling him what they were doing was inappropriate. Dean hesitated and Castiel’s heart sank. He thought he had blown the chance to actually make a move with the Greek god specimen before him but then Dean was quick to explain himself.

“I would, but I promised Charlie I’d wing man for her” Dean admitted

Castiel nodded before he turned his head to the dance floor where he saw said red head making out with some brunette on the dance floor.

“If Charlie is the red head you came in here with, then I don’t think she needs any help” Castiel chuckled as he pointed over to the couple.

“Jesus she works fast” Dean breathed. He was so close to Castiel that he could feel Dean’s breath creep down the back of his neck. He could smell the cologne that was radiating off Dean’s skin and God did it smell good.

While he tried to keep his arousal in check, Castiel took another pull from his beer before he turned his head to look at Dean again.

“Does that mean I can get that dance now?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said last chapter, this was a lot of fun to write so I hope you enjoy it :)

“Look Cas,” Dean began and Castiel’s heart sank. Dean was going to reject him and it was going to be heart wrenching. Dean would say no, Castiel would nod along with whatever excuse he gave and then he would turn and leave to join Balthazar back at the booth before he would leave and go home. Alone. He was so ready for the rejection, that what Dean was going to say didn’t even get said.

“Yeah whatever” Castiel snarled “I’ll just go back to where I came from. Don’t worry about it” Castiel turned without even a glance at Dean’s face nor did he pause as he stormed off back towards the booth. He had fought his way angrily and shoved at least four or five people into other partiers who glared at him and told him to “watch his fucking step” before a hand on his forearm stopped him. Castiel clenched his fist of his free hand, which just so happened to be his dominant hand, in preparation to punch whoever was going to have a go at him.

When he was spun around however, it was to find an angry faced Dean who quickly turned and pulled Castiel back in the direction where they had spoken by the bar. Dean’s grip was firm on Castiel’s arm and he could feel the warmth from Dean’s hand like a burn to his skin. He hated how he craved the touch and how even just the slightest contact of skin on skin made warmth course through his body. Once Dean’s footsteps stopped, his grip relented but didn’t let go completely as he spun once again to face Castiel.

“Jesus, would you let me finish before you go and cause a fucking riot” Dean yelled. The music had picked up in volume as the night had worn on with more and more patrons filling the club. It had grown difficult to hear one another so now, if they were to talk, they would more or less have to yell to be heard.

Castiel stayed silent and instead glared down at where Dean still held onto his forearm wanting the touch to be gone so the feeling of Dean under his skin would leave. When Dean noticed his stare, he let his grip go completely and Castiel’s arm fell to his side. Immediately, Castiel missed the warmth and the feeling of Dean’s hand but he was too angry to care at that moment.

“Why should I?” Castiel growled as he looked up into Dean’s eyes with a hard stare. “You were just going to tell me you weren’t going to dance with me so I just saved you the trouble and made my way back to my friend”

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed before he crossed his arms over his chest. Castiel quickly glanced to see those biceps that would be shown once again as Dean’s shirt was pulled tight before he rapidly shifted his eyes back to Dean’s face. There was no way he was going to show Dean he was still interested after he was just about to reject him.

“God, are you always this frustrating?” Castiel continued to glare at Dean. He didn’t have any clue what Dean was talking about. Why should Castiel stand here and listen to rejection from someone he was dying to get close to? He couldn’t help but feel it would have been better for both of them if he had just left and saved them both the time and hurt. Castiel watched as Dean rubbed a hand over his face and then through his hair and messed up the spikes further. Seriously how could someone with such good looks get blessed with such easily tamed hair while Castiel was stuck with a messy fur ball for a hairstyle? “Would you just let me finish my sentence?”

Castiel sighed before he nodded slightly.

“What I was going to say was,” Dean started. He had stepped close to Castiel now so there was barely an inch of space between them. His breath was scorching hot against Castiel’s ear and he had to suppress the shiver that threatened to run down his spine from the arousal that it caused. “I don’t think it would be appropriate. I mean I’m your coach”

Castiel let out a huff of air. Was that seriously Dean’s issue? They had been openly flirting for weeks now and apparently Balthazar had noticed so no doubt the rest of the team had too. Why couldn’t they just both act on the feelings that they had for each other? What they did in their own time was their business not anyone else’s. It was not as if Dean was his teacher. He’s a team coach. Surely it was different?

With his internal monologue through, Castiel finally voiced his opinion. He leaned his head up slightly to account for the several inches in height that Dean had over him so he could whisper in the older man’s ear. “Let’s be honest, _Coach_ ” Castiel purred as he stepped even closer to close the gap so that his chest was pressed lightly against Dean’s. He felt Dean inhale a sharp breath and hold it as he continued to speak which had a smile across Castiel’s lips “We both want this. So why don’t you stop fighting it and dance with me? There’s no one here that would bother us”

When Dean didn’t reply, Castiel slid his hand down Dean’s forearm and linked their fingers together. Castiel took a step back from Dean and looked him in the eyes where he found a silent agreement. Dean’s face was slack and emotionless but his eyes were soft and trusting. Castiel squeezed Dean’s hand in reassurance that it was okay to want to dance and he was rewarded with a small shy smile which he eagerly returned.

Castiel turned on his heel and moved his free hand behind him to grip onto Dean’s hand so it was now sandwiched between both his palms and lead them to the dance floor. He could feel the sweat from being in the heated room already start to gather on his skin and cause his shirt to stick to him slightly. Not enough to be uncomfortable but enough to bother him. However, he pushed the feeling aside because Dean was behind him and they were about to dance together and Castiel wasn’t going to let anything bother him when the moment he had been waiting weeks for was about to happen.

Finally, they had reached a suitable place for them to dance and Castiel dropped Dean’s hand as he turned to face him with a shy smile. Castiel stepped closer to Dean so that their chests were once again pressed together. There was hesitation in Dean’s eyes and Castiel squinted his own eyes in confusion as to what was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” Castiel yelled into Dean’s ear so that he could hear him. Castiel pulled back so he could search Dean’s face for the reason for the hesitation. He thought they had established the fact that there was no one here that was going to judge or bother them but apparently Dean was still insecure.

Castiel watched as Dean bit down on his lower lip before he leant down to yell into Castiel’s ear.

“I suck at dancing” Dean replied and Castiel could hear the embarrassment in his voice. A low chuckle rumbled through Castiel’s chest at the confession and he earned a smack to the shoulder from Dean “Stop laughing. It’s not funny”

Castiel controlled himself and then took Dean’s hands in his and placed them on his hips. Castiel’s own arms rose into the air and he began to swing his hips in the rhythm of the music. He watched Dean’s face as he moved and how his eyes went wide before the hands on his hips gripped just a little bit tighter. Castiel smirked as he swayed his hips more and let the music flow through his body. Castiel snaked his arms around Dean’s neck as he leant in to once again speak into his ear.

“Just move with me”

Dean nodded dumbly in reply which caused a huge grin to break across Castiel’s face at how adorable Dean was when he was out of his depth. When Dean’s eyes finally lifted from where they had been staring at his hands placed on the teen’s hips and locked on Castiel, his worried features relaxed slightly and his hips started to timidly move with Castiel’s.

As the song played on, Dean became more and more relaxed. He moved with Castiel and eventually, it was as if Dean had never had a problem with dancing. Their hips moved together and their bodies were firmly pressed against one another and Castiel struggled to keep his arousal in check. He knew if things got too heated too soon he would more than likely scare Dean off. It had been a struggle to just get Dean to dance with him let alone make a move on the tension between them. He could tell by the way Dean kept biting his lip when their hips were pushed together that Dean was doing the same as Castiel and trying to keep his excitement on the quiet side but it didn’t get past Castiel.

When the song ended and merged into another, Castiel was parched and even though he was really enjoying dancing with Dean, the sweat that had perspired on him had made him crave a bottle of water.

“Drink?” Castiel yelled into Dean’s ear. When Dean nodded in reply, Castiel pulled his arms down from where they were snaked around Dean’s neck and moved back from the older man’s body. This time however, Dean led the way and he was the one to entwine their fingers together as he dragged Castiel back towards the bar. Castiel followed obediently and was pushed right up into the back of Dean as they moved. Castiel had to hide his grin in Dean’s shoulder at how Dean had forgotten his worries and was now apparently fine with them being close.

When they finally made it to the bar, there was a large crowd gathered around the far end and as Castiel peered over Dean’s shoulder, he caught a glimpse of someone’s head laid down on the bar. He smirked as he realised what they were up to only to grin as he felt the surge of excitement run through him at the prospect of asking Dean to join him. Castiel quickly made his way around Dean and pulled him in the direction of the crowd before he stopped behind some of the people that had gathered to watch and turned to face Dean who had a look of confusion on his face before he saw what was happening. Dean’s mouth hung open in an ‘o’ shape and his eyes widened in realisation of what Castiel wanted.

“What do you say?” Castiel grinned as he bit down on his lower lip. Dean didn’t say anything only nodded dumbly and let Castiel lead him towards the bar. “We got next” Castiel yelled over at Tony who gave him a knowing grin before he nodded as he poured tequila on the blonde that was laid on the bar. Castiel turned to look at Dean who watched with wide eyes as a brunette leaned down and licked the salt from between the blonde’s breasts and then swirled her tongue in the woman’s navel to suck up the tequila. It finished with a short make out session as she sucked the lime slice from between the blonde’s lips. Castiel couldn’t help but laugh as Dean glanced from the bar to Castiel and back again. “Guess you’ve never done this before?” Castiel chuckled. Dean shook his head not saying a word as Castiel unbuttoned his waistcoat and flung it to Tony behind the bar before his shirt followed.

Just as Castiel was about to lie down on the bar, a hand on his forearm stopped him. Surprised, Castiel turned to find it was Dean holding him back but instead of the hesitation that had been in his eyes for most of the night, they were lust blown as they eyed his torso as if he hadn’t seen it a hundred times before during training.

“Can you lie on your stomach and I do the shot off your back?” Dean asked as he licked his lips.

“Sounds good to me” Castiel smirked as he jumped up onto the bar and lay down. He hissed as the coolness of the surface touched his heated skin and cringed as he felt the stray drops of liquor dampen his skin but with the prospect of Dean’s mouth on his body in a few moments, he pushed the uncomfortable feeling from his mind as he settled with his hands folded under his chin. He turned his head towards where Tony was cutting up a lime before he placed it between Castiel’s lips with raised eyebrows and a look that said ‘damn, you work fast’. Castiel grinned as best he could around the lime and winked in reply before he turned his head the other way to peer over his shoulder at Dean. The man was ogling his tattoo with his hands clenched at his sides as if he was holding himself back from running his fingers over every inch of the exposed skin. Castiel felt his arousal grow as he watched the man who was so clearly caught in two minds before it faded away and he looked up to Tony and nodded.

His breath hitched as he felt Dean’s tongue lick lightly between his shoulder blades where he knew the set of wings met before the sensation was gone as quick as it arrived and the knowing feeling of salt being sprinkled onto the wet patch settled in. There wasn’t a long break before tequila was being poured into the small of his back and Dean’s tongue was licking at the salt before his lips and tongue were working to suck up the liquid from his back. When Dean’s hand wrapped itself in Castiel’s locks and pulled, Castiel struggled to hold the lime in place before Dean’s lips were on his own and the lime dropped to the bar forgotten while his hands scrambled to support his weight. Castiel groaned as the hand in his hair pulled tighter and Dean’s tongue snaked out to lick along his bottom lip. He didn’t hesitate to open up and let the tongue in tasting the smooth taste of the tequila right from Dean’s tongue. As their kiss continued, Castiel slid his legs under him so he was knelt on the bar in a more comfortable position before he shifted again and slid his legs over the side of the countertop to swing over the edge. He opened his legs slightly for Dean to step between and once he had, Castiel wrapped his legs around the man’s waist pulling him as close as possible as they continued to explore one another’s mouth. Castiel’s hands snaked around Dean’s neck teasing the hairs at the nape of his neck just as a shove to Castiel’s back startled him.

Castiel turned around to glare at Tony who was stood there taking none of his shit. “Get off my bar and take your PDA elsewhere” he demanded but his eyes gave away the playfulness in his eyes. Castiel wiped his lips with the back of his hand as his glare eased and he reached out to take his clothes which the barkeeper was holding up for him. Reluctantly, Castiel removed his hands from Dean to collect his clothes and shucked his shirt back on not bothering to button it up before putting his waistcoat on over the top. Dean hadn’t moved from where he was stood between Castiel’s legs and the swimmer couldn’t help but smile that the man was still looking at him as if he wanted to devour him on the spot. When Dean’s eyes finally returned to lock with his own Castiel only grinned wider as Dean returned his smile. The man was utterly adorable when he smiled and the younger boy felt his heart swell at the sight.

“You want to dance some more?” Castiel whispered into the shell of Dean’s ear before he licked inside. Dean nodded and stepped back enough for Castiel to slide off the bar before he turned and led them back to the dance floor. No one glanced twice at Castiel’s attire as they fought their way through the crowd but Castiel was too focused on following Dean through the crowd and the anticipation of what was to come. He could still taste Dean on his lips and his tongue and he craved more. The taste was like a drug and now he craved Dean’s tongue inside his mouth; hooked from the very first hit.

As soon as they were in the heat of it once again, Dean’s hands were under Castiel’s shirt and gripping his bare skin. Castiel groaned as Dean’s hands pulled him into Dean’s front pushing their hips together as they moved to the beat. Castiel threw his arms around Dean’s neck before he leant in again and melded their lips together once again. Their hips ground together as their tongues tangled and Castiel could feel his blood rushing south as he repositioned himself so his leg was in-between Dean’s so he could grind against Dean’s thigh. Castiel felt Dean’s own arousal pushing into his hip and Castiel grinned around the tongue in his mouth.

After what could have been hours for all Castiel cared, they finally parted, breathless. Castiel stared up at Dean taking in the man’s debauched appearance and grinned that he had caused it. The man’s eyes were hungry with lust as they took in Castiel’s own ruined look. Dean’s lips were kiss swollen and red making them look even more appealing than normal. He had pined over this man for weeks and now he was finally close to having what he wanted. The next song was more upbeat and Castiel soon found himself turned around with his back pressed against Dean’s chest, his ass pushed back hard against Dean’s groin and he threw his head back and keened. Even through the layers of jeans, Castiel could feel Dean’s size and god was it impressive. All his fantasies that had run through his mind since he had first seen Dean were confirmed and became all so more delicious as he continued to grind back against Dean.

Dean’s lips latched onto Castiel’s neck as Castiel’s head fell back to the taller man’s shoulder and as Castiel rocked his hips more steadily into Dean’s groin, more noises fell from his lips and he felt Dean smile against the expanse of is throat. Castiel knew he would have hickeys in the morning from Dean’s teeth biting down and the thought of showing them off and only him and Dean knowing exactly how they got there had the swimmer’s arousal growing even further to the point that he almost came on the spot.

“Dean” Castiel gasped as he turned his head to say it into Dean’s ear so the other man could hear him. When the other man didn’t stop, Castiel said it again more forcefully. This time, Dean pulled his mouth far enough away so that Castiel could now look into Castiel’s eyes. They were once again riddled with confusion before fear encroached as if he thought Castiel was thinking twice. To stop him from pulling any further away, Castiel wrapped one of his hands into Dean’s hair and pulled him down for yet another heated kiss. When they pulled apart, Dean still had the look of confusion in his eyes and Castiel pulled him down so he could speak into Dean’s ear “Can we get out of here?”

“Yeah” Dean breathed and Castiel couldn’t help but smile up at the other man “Let me just find Charlie. I’ll meet you by the door in a minute” Castiel nodded and turned so he could kiss Dean once more but this time he took the opportunity to take a grope at Dean’s package. Dean groaned into Castiel’s mouth as he bucked into Castiel’s hand. Quick as he grabbed on, he let go and moved away. He sent him a wink before he moved to go stand by the door to wait. The teen scanned the club while he waited to see if he could see Dean amongst the sea of dancing bodies but he couldn’t find the man anywhere. As he realised he would soon be leaving the club, he decided now was a good time to button up his shirt but he left the top three unbuttoned just for easy access when they arrived back at Castiel’s apartment. Instead of doing up the waistcoat, he took it off and held it in his hands while he bounced on the balls of his feet waiting for Dean to return. He seemed to be taking forever but as Castiel looked around once more he realised that there were a quite a few people and finding Charlie in the mess was probably going to be a difficult task.

Castiel pulled out his phone from where it was still thankfully in his front pocket where he had left it and looked down at the screen to see one new message from Balthazar. With a grin, he unlocked his phone and opened the new message.

[ **From Balthazar: See you two have finally started to resolve that sexual tension. Good luck Cassie I’m off with that brunette from earlier ;)]**

Castiel grinned down at his phone but didn’t bother to reply as he knew Balthazar would be otherwise pre-occupied for the rest of the night. Instead, he let out a sigh, locked his phone and shoved it back into the front pocket of his jeans. Deciding he could really do with a cigarette, he made the decision to walk down the hall and out the front door to wait. He knew Dean would more than likely think to look outside for him and not think Castiel had left him especially seeing he had groped the man on the floor just minutes earlier. He shivered a little at the temperature difference against his rosy cheeks from all the alcohol and arousal as he stepped onto the concrete path. The bouncers gave him a smile as he moved to the left and pulled out his box of cigarettes from his back pocket as well as his lighter. He took a long drag from the smoke and let it sit in his lungs for a moment before slowly exhaling into the air. By the time he finished it, Dean was stepping out of the club and looking up and down the street in a semi-panic.

“Dean” Castiel yelled to get his attention and waved him over when he finally laid eyes on him.

“I thought you’d ditched me” Dean confessed causing Castiel to chuckle.

“I’ve wanted this since I first saw you. There’s no way I would ditch you. I just needed a smoke before we left” Castiel replied seeing some of the tension ease out of Dean’s body. “So,” Castiel said breaking the small silence that had formed between them now that they didn’t have the music to fill the lull in conversation “Mine?”

“Yours” Dean quickly answered. Castiel grinned and nodded before stepping towards the kerb to look for a cab. Castiel looked both ways up the empty street but didn’t see any cabs. Usually, they were crawling all over the place ready to pick up couples just like them but for some reason there wasn’t a cab in sight.

“Don’t see any cabs. Should we wait or walk up the street a little?” When Castiel turned around to look at Dean, it was if he was staring in the face of a completely different person. His eyes were wide and he was stepping slowly away from Castiel. “Dean?” Castiel asked tentatively “What’s wrong?”

“I…” he stuttered “I’m sorry Cas. I can’t do this”

“What?” Castiel squeaked the warmth he had felt all evening retreating leaving a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach “What are you talking about?”

“This… Us…” he gestured between them “I can’t. I’m sorry I just can’t” and before Castiel could say another word, Dean had turned on his heel and was walking off down the road. Castiel’s mind was yelling at him to chase after him but his legs wouldn’t respond. He was left stock still as he watched the disappearing form of Dean’s back walking down the footpath away from the club before he turned the corner and was out of sight.

Castiel snapped out of his gaze as a tooting of a horn sounded and he turned his head to see a cab driver leaning out the passenger window looking over at him.

“You want a cab?” the driver asked and Castiel couldn’t find words to speak. He just watched the man he so desperately wanted and dare he say started to fall for run off in the night with no explanation except to say he couldn’t do it. The shock started to wear off as he stared at the cab driver blankly who stared back with an impatient glare. Finally Castiel nodded his head and jumped in the back door. He buckled his seat belt as the cab moved and murmured his address to the driver. He was in a daze unable to process why Dean had just freaked out and run off. Was it him? Did he not want Castiel? Everything leading up to them leaving was screaming the opposite. If anything, Dean was the one that had initiated most of the events that evening. As the cab drove on, Castiel replayed the events through that night and he couldn’t help the anger that started to develop at the lack of explanation. One thing he did know for sure though was that he wasn’t going to let Dean get off that easy. Castiel was going to get to the bottom of it even if it meant total rejection from the man he had pined after for weeks. He needed to know and he wouldn’t rest until he knew the truth. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this time but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I actually struggled a lot with this chapter as I just couldn't seem to write my thoughts out and may have sat on this for about three weeks or so and was the reason I started posting just so I could gain some motivation from you all which you have with your comments and kudos along with the response on my tumblr so thanks so much. Anyway enjoy :)

As soon as Castiel was home, he was straight to the cupboard where he had his hard liquor and pulling out his full bottle of vodka. He unscrewed the cap and skulled back an unhealthy gulp before hissing at the burning sensation as it swirled down his throat. He moved himself towards the stairs and tripped a little as he moved up them with his focus mostly on getting more alcohol into his system. He didn’t allow himself to think just yet because if he did he knew he would just become angry; angry at both himself and at Dean who left him on the side of the road with absolutely no explanation. The alcohol in his system was already clouding his thoughts as he took another hefty swig from the clear glass bottle as he finally reached the top step. He stumbled towards the sliding door and opened it to step into the cool night air before moving to the railing of the balcony. Castiel set the still half-full bottle on the railing making sure it was steady before moving his hand away and searching his pocket for his cigarette container. He pulled out a joint and fished his lighter out of his jeans pocket with his free hand as he put the rolled paper in his mouth and set his case back into his pocket. He lit his cigarette and took a drag and held it before slowly exhaling. The tension in his body eased as the effect of the drugs and alcohol took over but before he could think properly he was pulling out his phone and entering the number he always rang when he hit a snag of trouble.

“Howdy Clarence” came the cool voice “What do I owe the pleasure?” He never understood as to why he had been assigned the nickname and he had never asked but he had told her to stop which she did not which lead Castiel to just give up and go with it.

“Hello Meg” Castiel replied his voice was low with disappointment along with his intoxicated state.

Meg’s laugh echoed through the phone “You’re drunk dialling me again? Why does it take you to be drunk to give me a call these days?”

“It does not take me being drunk to call you!” Castiel snapped back

Meg’s laughter only continued “Aha whatever you say Clarence”

Castiel took another drag of his joint to calm himself before he spoke again “I need some advice” he said with a sigh before putting the paper back into his mouth.

“Okay and what would this advice be on?” She asked a little hesitantly. When she had been around, Castiel would go to her about everything as she was pretty much his only friend. She knew all about his life and how much pain and hurt was in his background and she never judged him for it. She treated him like she did everyone else and when Castiel had an issue Meg would never fail to help him out.

“There’s this guy” Castiel began before taking yet another drag of smoke, “We’ve been flirting back and forth for a while now and I overheard a conversation that he would be at Delta tonight so I went and surprised him there. We danced and things were getting heavy so we decided to leave but once we got outside, he just ran off. No explanation. Nothing. Just went off”

Meg sighed through the phone and Castiel took the opportunity to take another inhale of smoke before shuffling to where his ashtray was and stubbed it out. “Well Clarence, it sounds to me like you have a closeted gay on your hands,” her laugh had Castiel smiling even despite the situation “Or there’s something you’re not telling me about this guy of yours.” Castiel stayed silent he knew Meg would see through the bullshit and know that there was something else that would have caused Dean to run off. No one went to Delta if they weren’t at least a little bi-curious. Apparently he had been silent for too long because Meg was demanding an answer from him “So what is it Clarence?”

Castiel sighed as he shuffled back to where his bottle of vodka was left before he picked it up and headed back towards the sliding door taking large gulps as he went. He slipped inside closing the door behind him, making sure to lock it, before flopping onto the spare bed. “He’s my coach” Castiel announced resigned.

“Your coach?” Meg replied confusion clear in her voice “I knew you liked them older Clarence but isn’t someone in their sixties pushing it?”

“What?” Castiel queried as his mind tried to catch up to what Meg was implying “Ew, no you’ve got it wrong.” Castiel cringed as he realised Meg thought he was speaking about Bobby “We have a new coach his name is Dean he’s in his twenties”

“Oh” Meg breathed obvious relief flooding through with just that one word. “That makes more sense. Tell me what happened”

Castiel knew the only way he was going to get help from Meg was telling her everything so he did. Even though his mind was cloudy with the effect of the alcohol and drugs, he managed to get the majority of the story of the first time Dean was at training all the way to where Dean left him alone on the side of the road. He was surprised by how easy the story came out and how unemotional he had gotten. Normally when he was in the state he was in, alcohol and drug clouded, he would portray a range of emotions as he unleashed his problems upon Meg. She stayed silent as Castiel spoke which he was grateful for and just listened to him rant on and on about how they had made a deep, profound connection in the few weeks they had known each other. He didn’t skip out on the details of how Dean would admonish him for his tardiness and the punishment he would dish out nor about how they would have their chats about anything and everything in Dean’s office. Once he had started he couldn’t stop until he was pretty sure Meg knew every little bit about Dean that Castiel did himself.

“Well that sucks” Meg said after he finished. Castiel sighed down the phone before he collapsed down onto his own bed. He had moved while he walked bringing his bottle of vodka with him but had placed it back onto the kitchen bench empty. “He sounds like a good guy” Meg continued “Except for the whole ditching you thing” she joked dryly.

“So what do you think I should do?” Castiel asked sleepily before he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

Meg let out a short sigh before answering “It’s pretty obvious Clarence. Make him want you. Turn on that irresistible charm of yours and make him crave you. Do you have his phone number?”

Castiel stopped to think for a moment “No I don’t. Gabriel probably does I could get it from him. Why?”

“Don’t tell me you’re that slow Clarence? You need to flaunt yourself. Send him some pictures that get him all hot maybe it will loosen him up a little”

Castiel couldn’t help but laugh “You want me to send him nudes? He’s basically seen me naked anyway, Meg. Swim trunks don’t hide much”

“Do you want my help or not?” Meg snapped causing Castiel to stop his laughter “I didn’t say nudes I said flaunt your stuff. Jerk off for the camera or something I don’t know just do _something_ that will force him to do something about it. Unless you want to go the rest of your life knowing he was the one that got away?”

That caused Castiel to stop and think for a moment because he definitely didn’t want that. He knew he liked Dean more than just a one night stand but what Meg said had got him thinking. He didn’t know yet if he saw Dean as someone he would be with in the long run, someone he would spend the rest of his life with but he was open to the idea. He just needed to have the chance with Dean to see if it was indeed something he would pursue further. Their interaction at the club was enough to show him that things between them was going to be intense if they pursued it but with the way Dean had left, it had him thinking if it did happen, it was going to be complicated especially if Dean ran away from his problems instead of facing them head on. Castiel let out a sigh as Meg waited for him to answer. He had a lot to think about before he saw Dean again but he knew that he wanted answers from Dean before anything went further.

“No” he answered simply “I don’t want him to be the one who got away but I don’t want to go wasting my time on something that’s never going to happen. I’ll just have to talk to him when I see him next and if I see potential I’ll go through with your plan”

“But Clarence,” Meg interrupted “From what you’ve told me he’s obviously interested he’s just scared. You need to bring him out of that shell of his and get him to give you a chance. If you can get hold of his number then it would just speed up that process”

“I guess you’re right” Castiel resigned

“Of course I’m right. Now get off the phone and get some sleep. Call me when you’ve finally got somewhere with him”

Castiel nodded in his drowsy state eager to just curl into a ball and sleep. “I will Meg. Thanks” he replied just as Meg went to hang up, Castiel spoke again “Hey Meg?” when Castiel got a hum in reply, he continued “I miss you”

“I miss you too Clarence” Meg replied “Now get some sleep”

Castiel didn’t know when he hung up the phone or when he fell asleep but when he woke up, he had a hangover from hell. He groaned as he shifted on his bed realising that he hadn’t stripped of his clothes or got under the covers. He needed a shower but first he needed to throw up. He ran with his hand over his mouth towards his bathroom gagging as he went trying and failing to keep the bile down. As soon as he reached the toilet, he let go and vomited into the ceramic bowl. The swimmer collapsed to the floor with a groan as he settled himself against the cool surface of the toilet seat before he gagged again and his empty stomach pulsed more bile up his throat. He shuddered and cringed at the disgusting taste in his mouth as he swallowed before he crawled on his hand and knees to his shower. He stripped himself of his clothes with difficultly before shuffling into the shower and reaching up to turn on the water. His body shivered and his skin covered in goosebumps as the cold water ran over his skin but it woke him up and made him feel less clammy and sticky from the club. He grimaced as he remembered the events from the night before as it all came rushing back to him. Soon, anger washed over him as he remembered how cold Dean had been leaving him without explanation.

As the water warmed he settled himself against the shower wall with his legs stretched out before him letting the water wash away everything and he just sat there unmoving, unthinking. After what felt like hours, Castiel finally reached up and turned off the water before he reached outside and grabbed his towel. He stood on shaky legs, his body having the hangover shakes desperate for food and water, and wrapped his towel around himself. He walked through to his kitchen and looked in the fridge finding a bottle of Gatorade and not a lot else. He needed to do more food shopping but with his head pounding and his stomach rolling, he knew he wasn’t going to get much done except eat and sleep. He shuffled towards the counter that kept the loaf of bread and pulled out a couple of slices before putting them into the toaster. He groaned again as another pulse raked his body threatening to vomit once more but he held it down and instead unscrewed the bottle cap before taking a small gulp. As it settled in his stomach, he set the bottle on the counter and rested his hands on the edge leaning his wait against it. Satisfied he could move without gagging, Castiel shuffled back to the fridge where he grabbed the butter and small jar of honey along with a knife from the drawer and moved back to the toaster. As he moved, he noticed the empty bottle of vodka and grimaced once again at how much he had drunk. It had been a while since he had been _that_ drunk but the amount he had drank last night was still a hefty amount and was taking its toll on his body in the morning. He knew what he had to do though except first he needed food.

He jumped like he always did when the toast popped up and moved sluggishly to pick it out before dropping it onto the bench. Castiel smeared the butter over it before placing the honey overtop. With his breakfast made, with a glance at a clock he realises it’s actually lunch, he moved to the table with one piece in his mouth, the other in hand along with his bottle of Gatorade and took a seat. Slowly, as not to upset his stomach, Castiel ate his food and drank his electrolytes. Once done, he rubbed his hands together to get rid of the crumbs before standing. His stomach felt better than it had earlier but he still felt a little off but he made his way over to his closet anyway and dressed in his sweats and a loose fitting shirt.

As he glanced over at his bed, nerves started to fill his gut when he spied his phone lying where he had disposed of it last night.

“Just do it” Castiel spoke aloud to himself trying to gain the courage to send a message to Gabriel. He weighed the pros and cons in his head as he stood there staring at his phone. He knew Gabriel would more than likely ask why he needed Dean’s number and hopefully Gabriel wouldn’t jump to conclusions as to exactly why Castiel wanted it. He knew that most of the team had picked up on the sexual tension between them if Balthazar’s word was anything to go by. What Meg had said got to him though. He didn’t want Dean to be the one that got away. With that at the forefront of his mind, Castiel took the few steps to his bed and picked up his phone opening a new message.

**[To Gabriel: Hey do you have Coach’s number?]**

Satisfied, he sent the message before he sat down on his bed and stared at his phone waiting for the inevitable reply that would be probing into exactly _why_ Castiel wanted his coach’s number. Not thirty seconds later, a reply came with the number. Nothing else. No question as to why he wanted the number or any hesitation just Dean’s number on its own. He shot off a reply of thanks before opening the message with the number and saving it. With Dean’s number safely saved in his contacts, Castiel lay back on his bed deep in thought. He didn’t want to talk to Dean today. He would have to wait until after their next training when his thoughts were clear and he didn’t have a hangover to beat all hangovers. Instead of doing anything productive, Castiel shuffled back up the bed and rolled to his side where he fell asleep again to let his body recover. His dreams were plagued with green eyes and hot lips against his own in a world where Dean didn’t leave him alone and had taken him home. When he awoke hours later, reality came crashing down on him leaving him feeling even more dejected and alone than he had felt in a really long time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your amazing support here and on my tumblr you guys are awesome. Just a heads up I am in the process of moving house (we have to be out of our house by the 13th of March and we have 88 years of junk to sort through) so all my spare time will more than likely have to go towards sorting and packing which unfortunately may mean a small hiatus. I really don't want to do that but it may be the only option if I don't get time to write. I will keep you update on my tumblr so feel free to follow me there for updates
> 
> Without further ado the next chapter :)

After a Saturday spent recovering, Sunday became a lot more productive. Castiel didn’t wake from his ‘nap’ until late in the afternoon after which he then got up and ate a proper meal before lazing on the couch and watching crappy television until he fell asleep again. He ignored all messages he received from his usual friends asking where he was.

Sunday morning, he woke up energised and completely recovered. It took him a few moments but once he remembered why he was in such a funk the previous day, his emotions crashed. However, instead of dwelling on it, he made a trip to the shop where he stocked up on groceries for the next week as well as replacing the bottle of vodka he had polished off. It wasn’t his best idea ever to finish an entire bottle of vodka after all he had drunk in the club but it was better than facing the rejection from Dean head on. Once home, he realised that he had bought a lot of stuff he didn’t even need and didn’t buy things he actually required. As he unpacked all his groceries, he discovered that he had picked up a pack of sanitary pads as well as an eyebrow plucker both things he had no reason whatsoever for purchasing. He spent the rest of the day cleaning up his apartment with his favourite Led Zeppelin album playing in the background. It was a mellow day of avoiding his thoughts.

Once his apartment was as clean as it was going to get, he sat down at his desk and finished his homework as well as started on the assignments he had been given during the week. They weren’t due for a while but he needed the distraction and keeping his mind on school work kept his mind off of Dean. That was until he received a phone call. His phone was buzzing against the wooden surface of his desk and was beyond distracting so he picked it up to see who the caller ID was. With a sigh he answered the phone.

“Balthazar, what do you want?” he greeted in lieu of ‘hello’

“Well hello to you to Cassie. I was just calling to cheek in on you two love birds” the man replied a smirk clear in his smarmy British accent.

“Well you obviously have the wrong number because there are definitely no love birds here” Castiel snarled

“What? Why are you angry? You and Dean looked so cosy when you were in the club” Balthazar replied his voice clearly showed his confusion.

Castiel let out a deep breath trying to calm himself. It wasn’t Balthazar he was mad at and he needed to remember that. Balthazar was just trying to be his friend and ask him how things were going. So instead of tearing him a new one, Castiel calmed down with another slow exhale and told him what had happened. “He freaked out and left me on the side of the road without an explanation”

“Twat” Balthazar replied instantly “What a royal asshole. Honestly Cassie you can do so much better. First thing at training I’m punching him in the gut”

Castiel couldn’t help but laugh at his teammate’s reply “Please don’t” Castiel found himself replying without realising “I was hoping to talk to him and sort this out. I need to know answers”

“And I’m sure you’ll get them right after I punch him”

“No” Castiel replied with a chuckle

“Fine” Balthazar conceded “But the offer still stands”

“Thank you” Castiel replied “I have some work I need to finish though. I will see you tomorrow”

“Yeah of course” his teammate replied “I’ll see you tomorrow”

Castiel hung up his phone and placed it off to the side smiling. He hadn’t realised that Balthazar had cared so much to ring him and check up on him. Maybe he had been harsh to not consider the British teen as a friend of his. Sure he was a bit of a sleaze but he was better than Crowley and he seemed to be a good friend to have. With that in mind, Castiel made the decision to try and become closer with Balthazar and maybe even become closer friends. With a smile Castiel resumed his homework until he was too tired to continue. The teen rubbed the bridge of his nose before pushing himself back from the desk with a sigh. He stood to his feet and shuffled to bed where he collapsed face down before ridding himself of his clothes wriggling on the bed too lazy to stand to his feet and do it properly.

On Monday, Castiel awoke early for the first time in a very long time. It was so early in fact that if he was to get up and not roll over and go back to sleep, he would be able to fit in a swim session before school _and_ make it to class on time. Normally, Castiel would just snuggle deeper into the covers and fall back asleep but as he had been tossing and turning all night at the prospect of facing Dean, he believed some time in the water would do him good. It was an area where all he had to think about was his swimming nothing else and that clear headedness was exactly what he needed.

With his mind made up, Castiel shucked back the covers and slipped out of bed before dressing in the sweats and shirt he had worn all weekend. As he dressed, he realised with a sigh that the marks Dean had left at the club had faded. He packed up his backpack with his school supplies as well as grabbing both pairs of swimming trunks from the washer to put into his locker and a change of clothes for school. Satisfied that he had everything he needed, Castiel left his apartment locking it behind him and made his way down to the carpark.

When he arrived at school, the swimmer was surprised to find the back entrance to the gym unlocked. Coach Singer had given Castiel a key early on when he was just starting out on the team and wanted to have more training sessions. Singer had given him a key so he could come in when he liked and wouldn’t need to have the coach drive all the way to school to let him in. Castiel was grateful for the trust that Old Man Singer put in him and had never abused it. Confused, Castiel entered the building only to find the lights already on and the tell-tale noise of someone already swimming. He knew for a fact that none of his other teammates would set foot in the building in the early hours unless it was a Friday so as he approached closer, his mind wandered to whom could possibly be swimming.

Castiel gasped as he laid eyes on the person swimming. It was a little hard to distinguish at first but as he took in the broad shoulders and the dark hair, he knew it could be none other than Dean. He watched gobsmacked at the grace at which Dean moved through the water. It was so fluid and effortless that he made it look unbelievably easy. He was only doing freestyle at an easy pace but it looked as though he was flying through the water. As Dean approached the wall, he turned seamlessly and surfaced just before the flags before launching into butterfly. His technique was flawless as he swam through the water and it had Castiel weak at the knees just watching. In a faraway thought, he couldn’t help but wonder _why_ Dean had given up on swimming. He was so obviously a talented swimmer with a world of potential but here he was teaching in a high school rather than winning gold medals at the Olympics.

Quietly, Castiel emerged from the shadows he had been lurking in keeping an eye on Dean as he approached the benches. The teen placed his bag on the bench before taking out his towel and swimming trunks. He wrapped his towel around his waist hiking his shirt up as he did so before removing both his sweats and shirt and putting on his trunks. Once dressed, he dropped his towel onto the bench and tied the waist band before he grabbed his goggles. As Castiel approached the starting blocks, his worry of facing Dean dissipated. He climbed atop the block, readied himself before he launched into the water without another thought.

The cool water was a shock to his system but as he started to move, muscle memory took over and soon he was swimming through the water without another thought to the world. Every so often he would breathe towards the lane Dean was swimming in and would catch the other man still swimming leaving Castiel to believe that Dean hadn’t noticed him or more than likely was in the same mind-set as Castiel; trying to put his mind at ease. Castiel wasn’t sure how long they swam but somehow they ended up in tandem. The two would push off the wall at exactly the same time before surfacing in the same spot. It was if they could read one another’s mind with the way they were swimming. After each turn, they would launch into exactly the same stroke as if they had organised it beforehand. Soon enough, Castiel completely forgot about Dean and was just swimming. His mind was clear, his body felt good and as he approached the end of his nth lap, he finally felt ready to speak to Dean.

When he reached the wall, he stopped and held onto the diving block as he perched on the small ledge that was along the wall to stand on and removed his goggles while he waited for Dean. It seemed as though Dean was in a similar state as him and stopped as he reached the wall after his extra lap. As they calmed their breathing, Castiel looked over to Dean to find him staring back down the pool not once glancing over to the teen. Castiel sighed as he wiped his hand over his face and moved to rest against the lane rope looking over into Dean’s lane.

“Dean we need to talk” Castiel said timidly after Dean had left him on the side of the road he had the right to be a little wary of the situation. They sat in silence as Castiel waited for Dean to take the next part of the conversation. He eyed Dean’s torso as he waited spying a tattoo on his left bicep in the shape of a sun with a pentagram in the middle. He found it unbelievably attractive but became intrigued of its origin. When Dean never spoke, Castiel grew fed up. “Dean, you need to stop avoiding your problems and tell me exactly what’s going through that head of yours” he growled hoping he would at least scare Dean a little into giving him answers.

“Look, Cas” Dean began “Can we not do this right now?” he still didn’t turn to face Castiel instead focussing on the wrinkles on his hands caused by the water.

“And why not?” Castiel questioned “Now is as good a time as ever”

Dean sighed then and finally turned to Castiel “I’m not in a good headspace right now”

“What and you think I am?” Castiel retorted angrily “You were all over me in that club and then the next moment when it looks like we’re finally getting somewhere, you ditch me! You left me on the side of the road looking like an idiot”

“I know. I’m sorry” Dean breathed “But I just can’t deal with this Cas. I can’t”

Castiel sighed as he looked at the pained expression on Dean’s face. It was obvious Dean had difficulties talking things through and was emotionally constipated but Castiel needed to know where he stood and if he was being honest, whether or not it was worth pining over Dean when there was no hope of anything more between them. The anger dissipated slightly from Castiel’s muscles but he still needed answers from Dean and he was not going to go another day without them.

“Dean I need to know what’s happening between us” he pleaded hoping that his voice was small enough for Dean to just give in and tell him where he stood. He knew it was manipulative but he needed to know and Dean didn’t seem to be budging when he was angry.

Dean let out a breath and swiped his hand down his face finally turning his gaze away from Castiel “I don’t know Cas. Like I said in the club I’m your coach and this kind of thing is frowned upon”

Castiel nodded while Dean talked repositioning himself again because the lane rope was starting to become uncomfortable. Dean watched him as he moved and Castiel noticed how Dean’s eyes were watching his body and not his face. Castiel knew this man wanted him it was just trying to get Dean to take it.

“It’s frowned upon but not illegal. I’m eighteen there’s nothing the law can do” Castiel resigned “and it’s not like you’re a teacher so it’s different. You don’t grade me, you coach me” Dean simply nodded and Castiel saw his mind ticking over the options in his head. However, before Dean came up with yet another excuse as to why they couldn’t be together, Castiel took a breath and ducked under the rope re-emerging directly in front of Dean. The teen smirked as he noticed the hitch in Dean’s breathing at their close proximity. Castiel slid one of his legs between Dean’s, the other perched on the small ledge next to Dean’s right while his hands held himself upright by holding onto the starters block directly behind Dean. “So why don’t you just stop,” Castiel whispered their faces mere inches apart, “and just give in to what we both want?” At that point Castiel leant in filling the space between them slowly enough that if Dean didn’t want it he could push him away but instead, Dean’s breathing grew rapid but his face looked pained.

“Cas” he whined “Please don’t do this to me”

Castiel rolled his eyes as he sighed exasperatedly “Dean I’m just doing what we both want” It was then, as he searched Dean’s eyes that a thought came to mind “Why don’t we race for it?”

“What?” Dean asked pulling back slightly so his head was pressed against the wall.

“We race” Castiel clarified “I win, you take me on a date” he said with a grin “If you win, I leave you alone and we just stay as coach and swimmer”

“Cas” Dean said again as if he was about to say no before thinking better of it “Fine you have a deal but when I win, you have to stop all of this”

With a smirk, Castiel pulled back so that he was treading water away from Dean but still close enough that if Dean wanted, he could pull him back in. “ _If_ you win you mean” before Dean could retort, Castiel ducked back under the lane rope into his own lane. He perched himself on the ledge looking back over at the coach. “So, what race are we doing?”

“Make it fair. 100 IM. I’ve already done a lot of swimming today I don’t think I’ll be able to handle much more than that”

“Fair enough” Castiel nodded “Dive to start?” He asked as he moved to lift himself out of the pool. At Dean’s nod, he climbed out looking behind him slightly to see Dean do the same, his muscles rippling as he did so. As he stood on the side, he couldn’t help but ogle Dean’s body. He was built exactly like a swimmer. Broad shoulders, light abs, perfect pectorals especially with the tattoo. It had Castiel all but drooling from the mouth as he watched the water droplets drip from his body. As his eyes dared to move lower, he took in the brightly coloured swim trunks Dean wore that gripped tight to his swimmer thighs. When Castiel finally returned his gaze to Dean’s face, he saw the man’s grin and couldn’t help but blush. He almost laughed out loud at how the roles had reversed. He coughed as he moved to the starters block ignoring Dean’s chuckle. He placed his googles back on his eyes and loosened his arm muscles slightly and turned towards Dean’s lane to see him doing the same.

He eyed up the lane as he waited for Dean to get ready passing thoughts through his head about how much he wanted, _needed_ to win this. There was no way he was going to let Dean go without a fight. He wanted to know what it would be like to be with Dean and not have to admire him from a far knowing his feelings were reciprocated but not being able to do anything about it. It would be agony if he lost so there was no way he was going down without giving every inch of his being to win the race.

“Ready?” Dean asked snapping Castiel out of his space for a moment. He nodded as he readied himself on the platform looking at nothing but the water. “Alright then. On my mark” Dean said as Castiel heard him settle on the starting block. Although the man of his desires was right next to him, his mind was on nothing but the race as Dean started them off. His dive was near perfection as he hit the water surfacing just after the flags before launching himself into butterfly. Over the years he had learnt the stroke but it definitely wasn’t his strongest and it showed as Dean beat him to the wall after the first 25. His turn was good though and as they changed into backstroke, he caught up to Dean almost overtaking him. It was unclear through his peripheral vision just how close they were but Castiel knew it would come down to the wire. His next turn was a little off and precious seconds were lost as Dean once again got a lead on the breaststroke but this was one of Castiel’s specialties and knew he would make up for it as they raced down the pool. The burn in his muscles made itself known as he reached halfway but he ignored the pain as he pushed himself on craving the win.

As he hit the wall, he knew he had it. He pushed himself into his freestyle flying through the water counting every stroke and pushing himself further than he usually did coming up for air after his tenth stroke almost at halfway. It was as he breathed towards Dean’s lane that he noticed the older man dropped back and was no longer beside him. Ignoring it, he pushed on kicking his legs as hard as he could and pulling back faster than ever before he reached the wall and glanced towards Dean’s lane seeing his coach pull in at least three strokes behind.

Panting for air he looked towards Dean who was removing his goggles equally as breathless.

“You let me win” he growled over towards Dean who once again perched himself on the ledge his goggles sat on the wall next to the starting block. Castiel saw Dean shrug his shoulders before he turned his head to look at the teenager.

“I realised something about halfway through the butterfly” Dean said

Castiel’s eyes furrowed in confusion “And what was that?” he questioned

“I don’t want to look back on this moment years from now and wonder what might have been” Dean answered with a small smile. Castiel smiled in reply before placing his goggles up on the wall and ducking under the lane rope into Dean’s lane once again. He crowded into Dean’s space like he had earlier with one hand on the starters block the other hand resting on Dean’s waist.

“Me neither” Castiel replied as his head came in towards Dean’s so that his lips brushed Dean’s as he spoke. As their lips pressed together lightly Dean suddenly put in a lot more effort and was pushing back against Castiel. Their lips melded and Castiel fell into it pushing back just as hard against the other man. It grew heated fast and Castiel couldn’t help but groan into the kiss at finally having Dean give himself over to him and not under the influence. Dean’s hands wound their way around his back pulling him in and if it weren’t for Castiel holding onto the starters block still, they no doubt would have been pulled under the water. With the gap between them non-existent, Castiel couldn’t stop his hips from grinding forward rubbing into Dean’s thigh causing delicious friction to his rapidly growing erection especially when the taste of Dean was so erotic.

Desperate for air, Castiel pulled back from Dean throwing his head back as Dean attacked his neck with kisses. He let out a small gasp as Dean’s teeth grazed along his pulse point before sucking lightly. It wouldn’t leave a hickey but it would be enough for there to be a lingering red mark for a little while. Suddenly Castiel found himself being spun around and pushed into the wall. Dean’s hand replaced his on the starters block with his free hand venturing down his back to grope at his ass. Castiel’s hips bucked in reaction causing further heat to pool in his gut and blood to rush south into his now hard cock. The other man’s hand moved even further down till it was gripping the back of the teen’s thigh before lifting it causing Castiel to react and wrap his leg around Dean’s hip, his other following suit. The new positioning caused their groins to rub together deliciously the only barrier the two thin pieces of fabric separating them.

Not being able to have his lips separated from Dean any longer, Castiel’s hand pulled at Dean’s hair dragging his head up to be level with his before sealing their lips together once more. Dean’s tongue tangled with his own as their hips drove relentlessly against one another’s.

“Fuck Dean” Castiel gasped as he felt himself grow closer to the edge. “Don’t stop” he gasped which earned a grunt from the other man and his lips to be covered once again. Dean’s hand that had been gripping his thigh moved again to the small of his back before dipping down below his waistband tracing a finger along the cleft of his ass. Castiel writhed under the touch driving back against the searching finger before pushing forward to grind against Dean’s erection. Both Castiel’s arms were wound around Dean’s shoulders as he drove himself closer to the edge searching for that pleasure. When Dean’s finger pressed against his rim, he lost it. He let himself go his head falling back against the wall with a thump as his body shook with his orgasm. His toes curled and he cried out Dean’s name as his hips continued to rock.

“Fuck Cas” he heard Dean distantly “So fucking hot” Dean growled before Castiel opened his eyes just in time to see Dean come. His face was beautiful as he let the pleasure take him over with his eyes closed, face relaxed and his mouth hung in a silent ‘o’ formation. Castiel’s hand played with the hair at the nape of Dean’s neck as he waited for Dean to open his eyes again. Once he did, they smiled at each other before kissing tenderly. It lacked all the passion and heat from earlier instead they were content to bask in the afterglow sharing lazy kisses.

After what felt like hours, they finally parted.

“We better get cleaned up. Classes will be starting soon” Dean said as he pulled away just slightly so that they were no longer pressed chest to chest. Castiel untangled his legs in response but missed the warmth as soon as he did so.

“Suppose you’re right” Castiel resigned “You’re going to join me in the shower though right?”

“I guess I could do that” Dean replied as if it was an inconvenience but ruined it with a cheeky grin. Castiel kissed it off him before he untangled his arms and pushed Dean off the ledge so he went under the water. Castiel laughed as Dean resurfaced sputtering and grabbing at Castiel pulling him under as well. As they treaded water, they shared small kisses once again before Dean finally made a move away from Castiel and pulled himself out of the water. “Come on Novak. Shower time” he spoke before reaching a hand out to help Castiel out of the water. Even though he didn’t need it, Castiel took the offered hand relishing in the skin to skin contact.

Once stood on pool side, he turned to Dean and looked him in the eye seriousness across his face “You do realise what this means right?” Castiel asked

Dean looked worried “What do you mean?” he queried

“We do have to race again. We need to know who’s faster” Castiel replied before breaking out into a huge grin

Dean shoved him lightly before turning away and heading towards the showers. “Whatever Cas” he replied playfully.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kudos and comments. Hope you enjoy the chapter :)

Gentle touches and lazy kisses were shared in the shower as they washed the other’s body with Castiel’s special soap and shampoo. Castiel had taken his time as he traced the muscles of Dean’s torso with his fingertips rubbing the soap suds into his skin taking the time to redraw the tattoo of Dean’s pectoral with care. Once the soap suds had washed away, he had done the same with his tongue making Dean sigh in pleasure. Castiel found that he really loved hearing Dean make those noises and strived to hear more from the older man. It didn’t go much further however as the prospect of school starting and anybody walking into the locker rooms to catch them in the act had them skittish. Other than a few gropes and tongue filled kisses once they were clean, they were quickly out of the shower and getting dressed again.

Dean had been quiet as they had dressed and it led Castiel to believe that he was having second thoughts about the whole thing. As Castiel pulled his hoodie over his head he walked over to Dean and put his arms around his waist. Dean’s arms wound his around Castiel’s shoulders and pulled him in closer so that their faces were mere inches apart. Castiel searched Dean’s eyes for truth but lack of experience and knowledge of Dean’s emotions had him pull up short.

“What are you thinking?” he asked tentatively.

Dean let out a small sigh as he shook his head “I don’t know. My thoughts are kind of a mess right now” Castiel nodded in understanding opting to stay silent instead of interrupting him in hopes that it would spur Dean on to talk to him more. He was rewarded when Dean continued “I like you Cas. Really I do but I think it would be best if we-“

“If you say stop what we’re doing for the love of God I will beat your ass” Castiel interrupted pulling back slightly only to be held onto tighter.

“Jesus would you stop that?” Dean admonished “Every time I say something you assume it’s something bad. Just let me finish my sentence and then you can talk okay?”

“Fine” he grumbled as he tried pulling away from Dean again. He wasn’t given much space but it was enough for him to cross his arms over his chest and to narrow his gaze in defiance. Dean’s hands moved to his shoulders in a reassuring touch before a hand cupped his chin and turned his gaze upwards. Their lips met and Castiel felt some of the worry that he had worked up seep away as Dean’s tongue explored his mouth. Castiel’s arms uncrossed and wound their way around Dean’s neck pulling Dean closer and closing the gap that he had formed between them.

“Feel better?” Dean asked with a smug grin as he pulled away.

“Yes” Castiel muttered in defeat. He stuck close to Dean liking Dean’s hands roaming over his back even though now there were layers of clothing between them he could still feel the heat from Dean’s touches.

“Well then can I finish what I was going to say?” the teen nodded in assent and Dean continued “I was going to say that I think it’s best if we keep this between us”

“Oh” Castiel replied as he looked up at Dean. He really couldn’t believe how much he had over-reacted. He was so used to everyone loving and leaving him that he hadn’t even thought that Dean would want to keep this under wraps for a little while. “Yeah we can do that” Castiel nodded in agreement.

“Alright then” Dean said before placing another chaste kiss to Castiel’s lips. Castiel tried to deepen it but was pushed back by Dean. The stronger man could manipulate his body way too easily for Castiel’s comfort but he trusted Dean wasn’t going to take advantage of him. The unease must have shown on his face because suddenly Dean’s hands were on his cheeks and was leaning down so that their eyes were level. “You okay?” he asked tentatively his thumbs stroking over the teen’s cheek bones.

“Yeah” he croaked. He cleared his throat before answering again “Yes I’m okay” he smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile which seemed to work on Dean. He moved away from Castiel and sat down on the bench to put his shoes on. Castiel took a seat next to him and did the same before standing to his feet and hanging his wet trunks on the hook above the bench to collect before training. He shouldered his school bag before shuffling back over to where Dean was tying his laces. “I’ll see you at lunch?” he spoke quietly.

“Of course” Dean replied with another one of grins “Are you sure you’re alright you seem a little off”

“I’m fine” Castiel waved off “I’ll see you at lunch” he smiled before leaning down and placing a heated kiss to Dean’s lips. He basked in the glow that came when he saw the dazed look on Dean’s face as he pulled away before he turned on his heel and walked out of the changing room making sure to sashay his hips enticingly as he went. He grinned as he felt his coach’s eyes on him as he left feeling the worry from earlier be pushed to the back of his mind.

A short while later Castiel waltzed into home room for what, more than likely, was the first time since he made friends with Meg. If the looks on the other students’ faces were anything to go by it was definitely was a surprise to see him there. Spotting Balthazar in the far back corner talking to Gabriel, Castiel shrugged his bag a little higher on his shoulder and made his way down the back. He pulled a chair from an empty desk nearby as he passed and pulled it over to the desk before slumping down into it. It drew the attention of the two boys who looked at him with surprise.

“The fuck are you doing here?” Gabriel asked comically “You’re never here on time let alone first thing on a Monday”

Castiel simply shrugged in reply as he slid his bag off his shoulder to drop unceremoniously to the floor. He pushed it out of the way with his foot as he leaned over the desk resting his elbows on the surface.

“I did some laps this morning” he replied “Needed to clear my head”

“Oh” Gabriel replied. Castiel took a glance over at Balthazar who had a pitiful look on his face. Castiel simply smiled at him hopefully telling him to not worry about it. “So why did you want Coach’s number the other day? I thought you had a key to the pool?” Castiel sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. He knew this question was coming and now that he had sorted things out with Dean he somewhat regretted asking Gabriel for the number. Now, he had to come up with some lie as to why he needed it. With a look at Balthazar, who was smirking at Castiel obviously figuring that things had sorted out since their last conversation, Castiel almost gave up and told Gabriel everything but Dean’s words echoed in the back of his mind. He wasn’t to tell anyone about them. Sure he would probably let Balthazar know later simply because Balthazar already knew enough of the story and there was no doubt he would let Meg know the development as soon as he was home for the day but he wasn’t about to extend it to Gabriel. The team captain was a loud mouth and even though Castiel considered him to be somewhat of a friend, he didn’t want to risk their secret being shared with the entire school.

Instead, Castiel quickly came up with a lie. “I just needed to ask him a few things about that swim meet coming up in a couple of weeks” It fell smoothly off his tongue and he hoped his face didn’t give anything away but the snort from Balthazar did. Castiel glared at him as Gabriel turned to face the teen.

“What?” Gabriel asked Balthazar before he turned to look back at Castiel. “Am I missing something?”

“No not at all” Balthazar quickly said patting Gabriel on the shoulder “I just remembered what happened at the last meet with your little pranks” he smiled at Gabriel who quickly lost his look of confusion and all out grinned.

“That was a good meet” Gabriel recalled “And I didn’t get caught!” he yelled before breaking into laughter. Castiel doubled over himself as he remembered some of the pranks Gabriel had done to the other team including putting _IcyHot_ spray in their team captain’s swim suit ending with the guy screaming his lungs out before shredding his suit and jumping into the pool naked. It’s surprising he wasn’t caught seeing as it was obvious it must have been the rival school and Old Man Singer _knew_ Gabriel would prank other teams but he never rat him out and the meet went on without another hitch.

With the change in conversation, Castiel relaxed back into his seat and recalled the many pranks Gabriel had done over the years. By the time the bell went for first period, the boys had tears in their eyes from laughter. Castiel stood to his feet with his backpack in hand before slinging it over his shoulder once again.

“Cassie, man, you need to come to home room more often that was fun” Gabriel jived as he clasped him on the shoulder. Castiel grinned over at him

“Yeah maybe” he replied with a wink before stepping through the door and into the bustling hall. A few people greeted him as they passed and Castiel returned it with a nod of his head before heading in the direction of his locker. In the moments he spent with Dean, he didn’t have enough time to change his books around for the day so he still needed to make a stop at his locker before heading to the _other end_ of the school for his next class. With a sigh, he said goodbye to his friends and started off toward his locker at a brisk pace not wanting to be late. When he reached his locker he had to do a double take. Not only did he refer to Balthazar and Gabriel as his friends but he was also worried about being late for his next class which _never_ happened to him since befriending Meg. It was always ‘I’ll catch up easy’ or ‘I probably already know the stuff anyway’ it was never ‘I’m going to be late’. With a shake of his head, he switched out his books and made his way to class with the intent to ignore his change in character.

All through his classes, Castiel was watching the clock waiting for lunch to come about. He was excited to spend some more time with Dean given the development in their relationship and was planning to take it yet another step further once they were alone in his office but he still had another three hours before that. He was beyond bored. So instead of glancing at the clock every five seconds, he tried to burry himself in his work. He took notes in all his classes and actively participated in the classroom discussion instead of talking with people. The time seemed to pass but once he hit the period right before lunch, it slowed right back down. His knee jostled in anticipation and he chewed on the end of his pen relentlessly as he watched the minutes pass by antagonising slowly. It didn’t help that the class was Math which he absolutely despised. However, after what felt like a lifetime, the bell for lunch finally rang.

As usual, Castiel made his way through the halls fist bumping and head nodding at some of his peers who greeted him before he reached the hall that lead to the gym offices. Butterflies fluttered through his gut as he drew closer to his destination. He sauntered down the familiar hall but as he reached Dean’s door, he found the door that was always opened, closed. Frowning, he stood in thought wondering as to why Dean would have his door closed. Shrugging it off as Dean just having a meeting, the teen went across the hall and pulled two cups out to make his and Dean’s usual coffees. As it was brewing, he peered out the hall hoping that Dean’s door was open again and deflated slightly when he saw it wasn’t. He chewed on his lip as he debated whether or not to just knock and go in before deciding he was being an idiot and walked back across the door to Dean’s door. Tentatively he knocked on the wooden panel and felt his heart beat just a little harder when he heard noise on the other side of the door.

Suddenly, the door opened and Castiel found himself being pulled in by the collar of his hoodie through the threshold before being slammed back against the door as it closed behind him. He didn’t have much time to react before lips were upon his own hard and forceful. Once his brain caught up to what was happening, he eagerly pushed back into the kiss and ran his tongue along the other man’s bottom lip begging for entrance. It was given and Castiel didn’t waste time delving his tongue inside Dean’s mouth before pulling back and nipping on his lower lip. All too soon, the other man was pulling away and resting his forehead against Castiel’s. Castiel’s eyes slowly opened to see green ones staring back. The teen couldn’t help but grin as he looked into Dean’s eyes seeing them lust blown just from their kiss.

“Hey” he whispered into the space between them afraid to break the moment.

“Hey yourself” Dean replied his toothy grin making an appearance. Castiel took a moment to lean in again to press their lips together once more in a lingering chaste kiss before pulling back again.

Dean pulled his arms back from where they were pressing against Castiel’s shoulders and placed them on his waist while Castiel’s unwound from Dean’s hair to press against his chest.

“Why was the door shut?” he asked “It’s never shut”

Dean shrugged as a sly smile spread over his face “Just so people would think I wasn’t here and leave me alone; leave _us_ alone”

Castiel grinned in reply “I like the way you think” The gap between them closed and they indulged in yet another heavy make out session which lead to Castiel pushing Dean back across the room and seating him down in his desk chair. Castiel climbed on top and sat in his lap before continuing to kiss the man beneath him. Dean’s hands were up underneath his hoodie in no time touching his bare skin and raking the hoodie higher. Castiel was grinning the entire time he was kissing Dean because after all those weeks of pining his was finally getting what he wanted. He could taste Dean on his tongue and it wasn’t after having a few beers and shots it was with a clear mind and he was willingly taking it further. Castiel pulled back for air and Dean took the chance to suck and kiss at his neck. “Dean” he panted when Dean hummed against his neck to say he was listening, Castiel continued “I want to suck you” Dean groaned against his neck which had a grin spreading across his face.

When Dean’s hands lost their grip, the teen took the opportunity to slide from Dean’s lap and knelt on the floor between the older man’s spread legs. He grinned as he eyed the prominent erection tenting Dean’s tracks. He shifted his gaze upwards to find the coach staring down at him with wide eyes biting down on his lower lip. Slowly, Castiel raised his hands and placed them on Dean’s thighs feeling them quiver slightly under his touch as he rubbed the muscles with his palms. His hands drifted upwards at a teasing pace his eyes never leaving the other man’s before they reached the waistband. Without a word, he slipped his long fingers under the elastic and pulled taking the briefs with them. With Dean’s member now free, it was Castiel’s turn to lick his lips as he eyed the leaking tip of Dean’s flushed cock.

Not wanting to waste another second, Castiel lurched forward and wrapped one hand around Dean’s member before doing the same with his lips. He thought about taking a moment to tease the man but as they were on school grounds in a rather compromising position he thought better of it and just swallowed him down. He was rewarded with a grunt from Dean and hands winding in his hair pulling lightly. His tongue swirled around the tip gathering the pre-cum and as he groaned at the taste, he pushed his head down over Dean’s member until he felt it press against the back of his throat. What he couldn’t fit in his mouth, he placed his hand over and moved it in tandem with his mouth as he started to bob.

“Fuck” Dean groaned above him which had Castiel grinning around his mouthful. Castiel popped off with an obscene wet sound which had a small whine escape from Dean’s lips. The teen licked his tongue over the slit where pre-cum was dripping out steadily before he wrapped his lips once again around the tip and sucked licking at the slit as he did so. Dean was panting above him and his thighs were quaking with what was either resistance to buck up or pleasure Castiel believed it to be both as he bobbed his head down again as far as he could. “Damn Cas” Dean panted “So good” Castiel preened under the praise before he swirled his tongue as he tried to make it as good as he could for the older man. “Mmm that’s it baby” the teen sucked harder at the endearment loving how it sounded falling from Dean’s lips. His own erection pressed hard against the zipper of his jeans and he had to press a hand into it to relieve some of the pressure but it didn’t little to compensate as he continued to bob. “Take it out” Dean groaned above him. His eyes glanced up to Dean’s from where they had focused on the task at hand in confusion. “Take you dick out” Dean reiterated.

The teen’s free hand fumbled to comply unzipping his jeans and pulling himself out through his briefs. He groaned around his mouthful as finally some pressure was released as he stroked himself in time with the bob of his head. It grew messy as he continued to please them both but as Dean’s mouth ran with dirty slurs Castiel felt himself hurtling to the edge of orgasm.

“Look so good like this Cas. On your knees for me sucking my dick. Fuck” he praised as his hand pushed through Castiel’s hair pushing his head back slightly so Castiel’s eyes were now locked with his. “You gonna come with my dick in your mouth Cas?” he cooed “Bet you love it stretching your lips wide don’t you?” Castiel nodded as best he could given the circumstances because he did love it. He loved having Dean’s dick in his mouth and even though it was making his jaw ache he didn’t want to stop until Dean was spilling down his throat and by the way Dean’s fingers were clenching harder and harder on to the strands of his hair, he knew it wasn’t too far away. He worked his hand faster on himself and on Dean as he tried to get Dean to the edge before himself but apparently Dean had other plans.

“Come on Cas. Come for me. Come with my dick on your mouth” Dean propositioned and hearing the man’s voice so deep and gruff with arousal at the hand and mouth of _him_ had Castiel tipping over the edge his orgasm taking him over as he spilled all over his jeans and the floor in front of him. He didn’t have long to recover before Dean was calling out his name and spilling down his throat. Castiel sucked him through it licking and swallowing everything he could until it all became too much and some dribbled down his chin. When Dean’s member stopped pulsing, he pulled off and licked the stray drops from his skin before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Suddenly the hand in his hair was pulling him upwards and Castiel went willingly sliding back into Dean’s lap and welcoming the lips that planted upon his own. Dean’s tongue dived into his mouth and Castiel just let it happen before they pulled apart again. Castiel rested their foreheads together once again as he panted for air with his hand pushing through Dean’s sweaty hair.

“Damn you’re amazing” Dean praised. Castiel smiled at the compliment and placed another kiss to Dean’s lips. Reluctantly, he stood back up and tucked himself away knowing that the lunch hour was going to end soon. He watched Dean do the same before moving back around the desk to his usual seat.

“So” he announced as he sat down “Where are you taking me for our date?” he grinned.

Dean grinned in return “You’ll have to wait and see. Friday at seven good for you?” he asked. Castiel nodded eagerly. “Great” As if on cue, the bell chose that moment to ring. Castiel stood to his feet and moved back to Dean to place a kiss on his lips quickly deepening it knowing that they more than likely wouldn’t get another opportunity for a while. Dean’s hands wrapped around his back pulling him that much closer as they continued to explore the other’s mouth as if they hadn’t been doing it for the past forty-five minutes. Castiel found himself being pushed away and Dean looked at him with a stern look in his eyes “Go to class” he ordered and Castiel bit on his lip but moved away.

“Fine” he conceded “I didn’t even get to have coffee today so if I’m slow to respond at training it’s all your fault” he teased.

“Whatever Novak” Dean chuckled. Reluctantly Castiel left the room and across the hall to where his bag had been dropped onto the couch and slung it over his shoulder. “One more thing Cas” Dean called to him as he came back out. When Castiel looked at him expectantly, Dean continued “Don’t think that what happened in here means I won’t punish you if you’re late for training” Castiel rolled his eyes with a grin.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way Coach” he replied before heading to class.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you all for your continued support. Things are finally starting to calm down which is good. Still in the process of moving though so things are still up in the air but I will strive to keep with my schedule :)

By the time Friday rolled around, Castiel was a nervous wreck. All week the pair had been teasingly close to each other but unable to do anything about it. By some rule they had silently agreed upon, Castiel didn’t see Dean outside of the team training sessions. It was if that seeing they had a date on Friday, they were no longer going to spend their lunch period together. However, Castiel was grateful for the lapse in seeing Dean as it added more meaning to the time they would spend together on their date. Although now, seeing they had already taken a step in resolving the sexual tension between them, it became impossible for Castiel to keep his hands off Dean. During the training sessions he would find himself distracted by the way Dean’s lips moved as he gave direction to the squad or how tight his shirt was on his broad frame. He could see the desire in Dean’s eyes as he stripped off his clothes into his swim suit and it was excruciatingly difficult to keep from closing the distance between them and attaching their lips together.

Of course, Castiel kept turning up late to training which didn’t help matters one iota. It meant that after the session, they were alone again. The flirting had stepped up a notch seeing as they were both planning to actually act on it but with the silent agreement that they weren’t going to interact more than necessary, it increased the sexual tension tenfold. The teenager found himself alone in his bed at night jerking off to thoughts of Dean a lot more often than normal and he was beginning to get sick of not being able to relieve the tension that was still thrumming through his body even after Monday. He just needed Friday to hurry up and arrive but with Castiel looking forward to the weekend, by rule of thumb, the week dragged on impossibly slowly. Classes were as dull as ever and with not even his usual lunch period with Dean to look forward to, the time passed even longer.

But finally, Friday had arrived. Dean had told him after training that morning that they were going out for dinner but nothing fancy so he should dress casual which left Castiel’s mind reeling as to what Dean had planned. Dean had told him that he would pick him up from outside his apartment at seven so by six, Castiel was pacing his apartment in nervous anticipation. He had dressed in black skinny jeans that hugged his figure with a white button down with the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. He wore his black Chuck Taylors to keep it casual and was now waiting for Dean to show. Before he knew he had done it, his phone was pressed to his ear and it was ringing.

“Hello Clarence. Bit early to be drunk dialling me isn’t it?” Meg’s voice greeted him.

“Ha ha Meg,” Castiel replied sarcastically. “I haven’t even had anything to drink yet”

“Oh really? Then what do I owe the pleasure?”

Castiel sighed, “I told you I have that date with Dean tonight.”

“Ah so you do. I almost forgot. Why are you calling me again?” Meg asked playfully.

“Fuck you,” Castiel retorted, “I’m kind of freaking out here. I’ve never been on an actual date before. What do I do?”

Meg chuckled through the phone and it had Castiel frowning in annoyance. For his best friend she really was a bit insensitive. He started to wonder why he had even become friends with her in the first place but then he remembered that she was the only one that genuinely liked him for him and not his popularity.

“Clarence,” She started once she stopped laughing, “Just be yourself. He obviously likes you and you’ve already spent a lot of time with him during those cute little lunch dates you’ve been telling me about so why should this be any different?”

Castiel nodded his head in agreement feeling some of the nervousness dissipate at Meg’s words. She was right. Castiel had already spent so much time with Dean that they were already comfortable around each other. It shouldn’t be awkward going out together because they both wanted to be there with one another.

“You’re right,” Castiel replied with a smile.

“Of course I am. Can I go now? It’s Friday and I want to go out.”

Castiel chuckled feeling better with every passing moment, “Yeah of course. Thanks Meg I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“You better. Catch ya later Clarence.” Castiel hung up his cell and flopped down on his bed pushing his phone into his pocket as he did so. With Meg’s words running through his head, his nerves for his date with Dean had completely disappeared and all that remained were the good butterflies. He was excited to see where Dean was going to take him and what they would be doing. In reality though, he was just excited to spend time with Dean outside of school grounds where they would be labelled as coach and student and had to keep things normal between them.

As he let his mind wander as to what Dean had planned for the night, he completely lost track of time. A toot of a horn from outside brought his attention back to the present and he quickly stood up from his bed and checked his hair in the mirror in one last attempt to tame his unruly hair. Unsuccessful, he sighed and grabbed his jacket before picking up his keys and heading out the door. He locked it behind him and made his way down to the ground floor. Seeing Dean leant up against his black beast of a car had a grin plastered on his face as he exited the building. His stomach did a twist as he saw what the man was wearing. Dark washed jeans that hugged his legs defining his bow legs, a black t-shirt covered with a bottle-green button down that complimented his eyes and a leather jacket to top it off. To say he looked good would be an understatement.

As he stepped closer to Dean, Dean’s hands found his waist and pulled him in so that their lips met. It was the first time since Monday lunch period that they had kissed and Castiel wasn’t going to waste a second. He quickly deepened the kiss pressing against Dean has hard as he could only to have Dean equally enthusiastic and opening his mouth to lick at Castiel’s bottom lip. Castiel opened his mouth and let Dean’s tongue roll around his before sucking gently on it. Content, they pulled away only to grin at each other.

“Hey,” Dean breathed into the air around them.

“Hi,” Castiel replied still grinning.

“You ready to go?” Castiel nodded his assent and Dean pushed him back slightly so that he could move away from the door. He opened the car door for him and Castiel slid inside onto the leather interior. As Dean closed the door behind him, Castiel couldn’t stop himself from taking a large inhale taking in the scent of Dean’s car. A smile spread across his face as he remembered all the stories Dean had told him about this car and how he had basically built it from the ground up after it had got into a bad wreck. He hadn’t told him the details of the wreck only that Dean wasn’t involved in the accident.

The teen was startled out of his thoughts by the driver’s door opening and Dean sliding onto the bench seat. Castiel’s stomach did yet another flip as Dean grinned at him before he started the ignition of the Impala with a roar. The rumble from the engine had Castiel’s chest vibrating and he couldn’t help but be reminded of his own car. He smiled to himself as he realised how much Dean and he had in common.

“So where are we going?” Castiel asked to break the comfortable silence they had fallen into.

“Uh this place called ‘The Roadhouse’. It’s kind of my favourite place to go,” Dean answered shyly. His skin started to cover in a blush and Castiel smirked over at the other man. “What?” Dean asked as he caught Castiel’s smirk.

“Nothing,” Castiel replied nonchalantly, “Just find it amusing how you’re embarrassed about taking me somewhere you like”

“Fuck you,” Dean jokingly replied.

“Maybe later big boy” Castiel replied cool as ever. He broke into a fit of laughter as Dean went a deep red and ducked his head pointedly looking back at the road. It only made Castiel smirk wider. They drove in silence for the rest of the ten minute drive before Dean indicated and pulled into the carpark of a wooden bar. Castiel looked out the window sceptical of what he had gotten himself into but eager none the less to see why Dean liked this place so much. It looked like a typical country bar where if you weren’t a regular, people would look at you sideways until you left again.

They exited the car and Castiel followed slightly behind Dean as they stepped into the establishment. He was pleasantly surprised at the atmosphere that the place held. There were tables around the joint that had people talking over a beer as well as a few booths off to the side where people were enjoying a full meal. The bar was located off to the right and Castiel saw a blonde woman who looked to be a little older than himself keeping and laughing at something an old man had said to her. The blonde looked up and over in their direction before breaking into a huge grin and waving at them.

“Dean!” She called out and waved him over. Dean started in her direction and Castiel tailed behind him. “I have your booth for you,” She said as she lifted the wooden divider and stepped out from behind the bar. “You must be the famous, Cas,” she spoke as she gave the teen a once over, “I’m Jo,” she introduced with a broad smile.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Castiel replied with a nervous smile of his own. He was a little taken back that the barkeeper knew who he was but also slightly ecstatic that Dean actually talked about him. He looked towards Dean to see him glaring a heated stare at Jo who just returned it with a cheeky smile and bounced off in the direction of the booths. Once she was out of earshot, Castiel nudged Dean’s shoulder with his own, “So you talk about me huh?”

“Shut up,” Dean grumbled in reply which had Castiel chuckling. Castiel took the opportunity to lean in and quickly peck Dean on the cheek before stepping in front of him and following Jo to their booth. He didn’t look back to see if Dean was following because he knew he would be. Jo came to a stop beside a booth near the back of the bar and gestured to the red leather seats with a smile. Castiel slid in to the nearest seat and waited for Dean who was just behind him. Dean’s cheeks had a small tint of a blush to them as he slipped into the seat opposite him and Castiel’s smirk returned.

“So what can I get you boys to drink?” Jo asked bouncily.

“Two beers,” Dean quickly replied not giving Castiel a chance to order. He wasn’t even upset because it’s exactly what it wanted.

“Anything else?” Jo asked as if she was unwilling to leave.

“No Jo,” Dean replied agitation thick in his tone

“Alright sheesh,” Jo replied which had Castiel chuckling nervously. Obviously Dean was good friends with the woman and she was trying to do everything in her power to get to know all about Dean’s date and to probably embarrass him. Castiel watched Dean watch her go. He saw the obvious tension slip from his shoulders as she left them alone and Castiel let his mind wander to why Dean would bring him somewhere where he wasn’t comfortable.

When Dean turned to face Castiel however, he had a smile on his face which the teen couldn’t help but return.

“Sorry about her,” Dean apologised, “She likes to put her nose where it’s not wanted.”

The teen chuckled in reply, “I don’t mind,” he said, “She seems to know you quite well.” He hoped to keep the jealousy out of his tone but judging by the look on Dean’s face, it didn’t quite work. It was hard not to notice the looks Jo was throwing Dean’s way when she was with them.

“Woah Cas, she’s like a little sister to me. I’ve known her since I was little. Her Mom, Ellen, is married to Bobby so Ellen is pretty much my Mom too.”

“Oh,” Castiel breathed relief thick in his voice. He didn’t want to be the jealous type but apparently he was.

Dean thankfully moved on and picked up a menu handing it to Castiel. Castiel noticed Dean didn’t pick up one for himself and as Castiel remembered that Dean said this was his favourite place to go, he probably knew the menu off by heart. The teen gave the food options a once over before placing it back onto the table.

“I’ll just have whatever you have,” he announced trusting Dean’s judgement.

“You’ll love it,” Dean replied with one of his tooth showing grins. Just as they decided, Jo returned and placed their beers on the table. She slid one over to each of them before turning to look at Dean.

“The usual?” She asked.

“You know it and Cas wants the same,” he replied not taking his eyes off of the teenager.

“Sure thing,” she grinned at Castiel before moving away from the table. Dean was still staring at him so to break the awkward stare; he picked up his beer and took a hearty gulp. With the bottle between his lips, he looked down the glass and over to Dean who still hadn’t taken his eyes off him as he picked up his own drink. Castiel smirked as he noticed the hungry look in Dean’s eyes as he swallowed. He placed his drink back onto the table and played with a shaft lightly watching Dean’s eyes zero in on the movement.

Castiel let Dean watch his fingers move for a moment, before Dean shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. The teen had to supress a chuckle. Castiel looked around the bar and took in its friendly environment and the atmosphere seeing why Dean liked this place so much. It was so unlike the usual places Castiel would find enjoyment but somehow he just knew it was exactly Dean’s scene.

“This place is nice,” Castiel said to break the tension that had fallen over the table.

Dean smiled at him, “Yeah I kind of grew up here. Ellen would make me food and I’d help out in the back washing dishes to earn some cash.”

“Oh really?” Castiel asked with raised eyebrows, “I didn’t see you as the type to wash dishes.”

Dean let out a chuckle and Castiel’s insides melted at the sound, “Yeah there’s a lot you don’t know about me I guess,” he replied before taking another sip of his beer.

“Well,” Castiel drawled, “You could always fill me in on the details.”

Dean let out a sigh as he placed his bottle back onto the table. His features took a darker shade to them and Castiel felt as if he had overstepped a line asking Dean to talk of his past.

“Cas,” he breathed, “My past is a little dark. I don’t think it’s really first date material”

Castiel let out a huff of a laugh. “Dean,” he said catching the eyes of the other man, “I don’t think you can really count this as a first date. We’ve both been openly flirting since the moment we met. If you’re not comfortable telling me that’s fine but I’d like to know.”

Dean nodded, “Guess you’re right,” he agreed. Just as he was about to speak further, Jo reappeared with their meals. She placed both plates in front of the men and Castiel looked down at the plate with wide eyes. The burger was massive filling up almost three-quarters of the entire plate with fries filling up the rest of it. It was so big in fact that he didn’t think he’d actually be able to bite it. He looked up to see Dean staring over at him with a smug grin on his face and then up to Jo who had the exact same expression on her face.  

“Enjoy,” she chimed before bouncing off in the direction she came from. Castiel stared back down at his plate investigating further. The burger before him was actually one of his favourites; a bacon cheeseburger with extra cheese and oozing barbeque sauce. It was just three times the size of his normal sized burgers.

“How the fuck is this meant to fit in my mouth,” Castiel asked looking up from his burger to see Dean had already taken a bite out of his.

“Oh I’m sure you’ll manage,” Dean answered around his mouthful. He swallowed and then spoke again, “I’ve seen what you can fit in there.”

Castiel glared at his date before moving some of the fries around his plate so that he could pick up the burger. In retaliation for Dean’s comment, Castiel decided he was going to play up the situation. He stretched his mouth as wide as he could and took a decent bite savouring it on his tongue. As he chewed he let out a decent moan.

“Fuck,” he groaned around his mouthful, “That’s delicious.” He chewed before swallowing and taking another bite. He once again moaned at the taste and smirked as he realised Dean had stopped eating his own burger and was staring at the teenager. A little bit of grease had trailed down his fingers so instead of using the napkin, he brought his fingers to his lips and sucked them into his mouth before licking them clean.

“Okay Cas,” Dean reprimanded his voice low with arousal, “I get the picture.” Castiel grinned to himself knowing he’d won before resuming his burger.

They made light conversation during dinner never delving into the past that Dean was a little shady over but Castiel wasn’t worried. He knew Dean would tell him when he was ready just like he in turn would let Dean know of his own past. The teenager wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to tell Dean everything but he was positive it would come out sooner or later as an eighteen year old high school student living in their own studio apartment wasn’t exactly normal. Once finished, Castiel pushed his plate to the side and leant his elbows on the table leaning towards Dean who had finished his meal well before Castiel.

“So what are we doing now?” the teenager asked.

“Well, we could stick around for dessert or we could go somewhere else?” Dean answered as his foot found the back of Castiel’s leg and rubbed his calf.

Castiel thought it over for a moment, “Hmm,” he hummed, “I have ice cream at my place if you want to go back there? You could finally check out my record collection.”

“That sounds pretty good actually,” Dean answered, “I’ll just tell Jo to make the pie to go.”

Castiel smiled and nodded as Dean stood and made his way over to the bar. He watched him go admiring how the jeans Dean wore made his ass look before he turned his eyes back to the table. He picked up his beer and drained the last few dregs before standing and making his way over to Dean. He slipped up beside him placing a hand on his hip as he moved around to stand by his shoulder. Dean looked over at him and smiled before looking back to where Jo was re-appearing, white box in hand.

“Here you go Winchester,” she said with a wink as she handed over the box.

“Thanks Jo,” he replied before looking over at Castiel again. “Ready to go?” he questioned. Castiel nodded readily. “Awesome. Let’s go then.” Then Dean did something that surprised Castiel, his hand slipped down to the hand on his hip and wrapped it in his own linking their fingers together. Castiel stared down at their joined hands with a small smile feeling giddy inside. No one had ever made him felt like Dean did. Normally, a hand in his own was only so they didn’t get lost as they fought their way through the crowded club to get a taxi home. It was never a thing of comfort but now Castiel found himself warming at the touch and gripping tightly onto Dean’s hand. “I’ll see you later Jo,” Dean farewelled before nudging Castiel in the direction of the door.  They walked hand-in-hand out to the impala before Dean let his hand go so he could once again open the door for the teenager. Castiel pressed a kissed to Dean’s lips in thanks over the door before sliding in. Dean placed the pie in his lap and closed the door behind him. Moments later, Dean was joining him and starting the car.

“Your place?” Dean asked reassuring their plans.

“My place,” Castiel nodded with a smile.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm repeating myself every time I update but thanks so much for the kudos/comments as always I love reading them all and it means a lot to have your support :) We move on Thursday and hopefully everything goes as planned and I'll have time to write this week to post on Monday :D Anyway here's the next chapter

Once back at Castiel’s building, the teen guided Dean into the downstairs carpark knowing Dean wouldn’t want to park his beloved vehicle on the roadside for the night. Castiel was under no illusions that Dean wasn’t going to stay the night. He didn’t know where the evening was going to go but he was he certain Dean would not be leaving anytime soon. Once he was parked next to Castiel, the pair exited the car with the pie in Castiel’s hands. As Dean rounded the car to meet Castiel at the trunk, he slipped his hand into Castiel’s and entwined their fingers once again. Another smile spread across his lips at the gesture as well as another flutter of butterflies in his gut.

Hand-in-hand they walked towards the building entrance before making their way up to Castiel’s apartment. It didn’t take long before Castiel was fishing his key out of his pocket and unlocking the door. He pushed the door open before he stepped aside letting Dean inside and followed behind. Once the door was closed, he moved to the kitchen and placed the pie down on the bench. He shuffled towards the cupboard and pulled down two bowls before moving to the freezer to find the ice cream that he knew he had stored in the back. Once he got it out, he moved back over to the bowls and started serving it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dean looking around the apartment curiously before he turned back to Castiel.

“You live here by yourself?” he asked seemingly confused as well as a hint of concern in his voice.

“Uh yeah,” Castiel answered with a shrug as he pushed the ice cream off the spoon with his finger before sucking his finger into his mouth. With two healthy scoops in each bowl, he opened the box and used a server to pull out the still warm enough pieces of pie and put them into each bowl.

“Where are you parents?” Dean asked after a moment. Castiel tensed slightly. He knew the question was coming as soon as they decided to go back to his apartment. He wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to explain the whole situation but he knew it would probably be best if he did. It might draw Dean closer to him and give Dean the opportunity to in turn open up to him.

Without answering, Castiel picked up each bowl with a spoon in each and carried it over to Dean. He handed one of the bowls over and headed for the stairs. He didn’t look back to see if Dean was following him because he knew he would be and instead just climbed up to the upstairs room. Once at the landing, he walked past the walls lined with records not even giving a second glance before opening the door to the balcony and stepping outside.

“You have a hot tub?” came Dean’s surprised voice from somewhere behind him. He didn’t reply only turned to look over his shoulder with a smirk before he moved to sit on the bench that ran along the side opposite the hot tub. Dean joined him not a moment later and they sat in silence as they ate at their desserts. Once Castiel was halfway through, he realised that the tension between them had grown slightly uncomfortable and with a sigh decided it was best to tell Dean the story.

“My parents are dead,” he said outright inspecting his dessert as he pushed the melted ice cream around with his spoon mixing it with the apples from the pie. “They died when I was seven in a car accident,” he continued to stare at his food swirling it around to distract himself. He didn’t want to look up at Dean as he knew he would see pity in his eyes. Castiel had been pitied all his life. He was always the boy that didn’t have parents. The boy who lived with his uncle who turned out to be beating him. It was one of the reasons he left the town he used to live in. He couldn’t stand the looks the townies would give him as he walked down the street. The need to get out had overwhelmed him and he had found a city where no one knew his name or his story and he could dictate who knew what.

“Cas,” Dean spoke softly after a moment.

“Please don’t,” Castiel interrupted, “I don’t need you pity Dean.”

“Jesus Christ Cas. What did I say about predicting what I’m going to say?” Dean growled drawing Castiel’s attention. Castiel didn’t answer just stared at the man beside him with defiant eyes. As he stared at him however, his expression softened as he didn’t see pity in the green eyes he came to adore. There was sadness there but there was something deeper something that looked more like empathy. “I know what it’s like Cas,” Dean said tearing his eyes away from Castiel’s. It was his turn to stare down at his dessert but as Castiel looked down at Dean’s bowl, he saw that it was empty. He couldn’t help but let out a small snort at the fact Dean had finished his entire bowl in the time it had taken Castiel to take a few bites. As the words that the other man had said sunk in, realisation dawned on him.

“Your parents are dead too?” Castiel asked hesitantly.

Dean nodded still not looking away from Castiel. “My mom…” he trailed off and they fell into silence for a few moments. Castiel gave Dean time to calm himself and to let him speak in his own time. He knew how hard it was to tell anyone the details of losing your parents. It had taken him over two hours to gather the nerves to tell Meg what had happened so instead of forcing Dean to talk, he sat back and let Dean simmer. It didn’t take two hours but it did take Dean a while to gather the courage. “My mom died when I was four. There was a fire… she couldn’t get out in time.” Castiel held back a gasp and instead placed his bowl down on the seat next to him and raised his hand to rest on Dean’s shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring touch. “I still remember the heat and the smoke filling my lungs. I woke up to my Dad yelling my Mom’s name and as I came out of my room and my little brother, Sammy who was six months old, was shoved into my arms and Dad just told me to take him and get out.” Castiel felt his heart drop. Sure Castiel had lost his parents but at least he hadn’t been _there_ when it had happened let alone being responsible at four years old for getting his infant brother to safety.

“As I ran out I heard the screams of my Mom.” Dean shook his head and Castiel could tell he was moments away from sobbing. Castiel moved closer to Dean taking the bowl from his hands and putting it with his own before wrapping his arms around Dean’s shoulders.

“What happened to your Dad?” Castiel asked hesitantly as his hand rubbed up and down Dean’s back.

“Drank himself into an early grave,” he said with a snort “Could barely function afterwards. Dropped us off at Bobby and Ellen’s and only came back every so often stinking drunk when he did until we heard the news he was in hospital. Drove drunk behind the wheel and smashed into a tree. He didn’t make it.” Castiel had no idea what to say he knew saying he was sorry was the most annoying thing to say to someone who was clearly hurting so he did the best thing he could. He pulled Dean tighter in towards him and just continued to hug him. He had no idea that they had so much in common in the way that they had both lost their parents at a young age.

After what could have been hours, they finally pulled apart. Castiel smiled slightly as Dean met his eyes. The smile was hesitantly returned and Castiel took the opportunity to frame Dean’s face with his hands before leaning in and melding their lips together. There was no heat or pressure behind it. It was just a sweet chaste kiss that was aimed to comfort rather than to lead to pleasure. Castiel pulled himself back and stood without a word before holding his hand out for Dean to take.

“Let’s listen to some music,” he suggested when Dean looked up at him in confusion before he broke into a thankful smile. Dean reached out and took hold of Castiel’s hand who entwined their fingers as Dean stood to his feet. They walked back to the slider and back into the room where Castiel released Dean’s hand and moved over to the record player and sat on the floor next to it. “Pick whatever you want,” he calmly told Dean as he gestured around the room at the shelves of records.

“Jesus,” Dean said as he ogled the room, “You’re like that chick from that show, Peyton or whatever.”

Castiel snorted, “You mean to tell me you’ve _actually_ watched One Tree Hill?”

Dean turned back to Castiel with a hard look in his eyes “What? It was a good show!” Castiel shook his head as he chuckled. “Shut up,” Dean pouted as he returned to looking at the records. As predicted, he moved towards the Led Zeppelin section. Castiel watched as Dean pulled down Zeppelin II and brought it back over to where he was sitting. He smiled as he took the record from Dean before withdrawing it from its case and placing it on the player. Soon the familiar cords of ‘ _Whole Lotta Love_ ’ filled the room. Castiel smiled as Dean sat down opposite him on the floor before the teen shuffled closer to the older man just to be closer.

“I used to live with my uncle,” Castiel said breaking the lull in conversation. “He was an asshole who lost his job and ended up turning into a drunk. He blamed me for it all and used to hit me.” Castiel didn’t look up at Dean but instead reached out and played with Dean’s fingers, “When I was fifteen, I got emancipated and moved out here.”

Dean let out a sigh as he reached for Castiel and pulled him till he was seated in his lap wrapping his arms around him. Castiel sank into the touch wrapping his arms around Dean tucking his head under Dean’s.

“We make a great pair don’t we. Orphans with a crappy past,” Dean snorted.

“At least we have good taste in music,” Castiel joked which earned a laugh from Dean.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” Dean replied. After a few moments of just basking in the closeness and listening to the music, Dean spoke again. “Hey Cas?” When Castiel hummed Dean continued “I’m sorry I was an asshole and ditched you after the club.”

Castiel pulled back a bit so he could look Dean in the eye, “You’re right. You were an asshole but you’re here now so let’s enjoy this,” he said with a smirk as he closed the gap between them. It wasn’t rushed or heated just like earlier it was slow and sweet with the pair revelling in the fact they had opened up to each other. When Dean pulled away, Castiel pouted slightly. He wasn’t ready for the kiss to end. He loved the taste of Dean and now they were officially exploring there attraction he never wanted their lips to part longer than they needed to. Dean chuckled at him before he placed a light kiss to his lips but pulled back again just as quick. Castiel was confused for a moment as Dean adjusted the teen in his lap before leaning over him to the record player. Castiel watched as the other man fiddled with the needle before the familiar opening cords to ‘ _Ramble On_ ’ filled the room.

“Love this song,” Dean declared as he settled back down again. Castiel smiled at him.

“I know you do,” Castiel replied because they had talked about it during their lunch breaks about how Dean’s favourite songs were ‘ _Ramble on_ ’ and ‘ _Travelling Riverside Blues_ ’ and even though Castiel loved them both so much he really couldn’t look past ‘ _Good Times Bad Times_ ’. Dean’s answering smile had Castiel leaning in so that their mouths were together again. Castiel smiled into the kiss as Dean’s hands drummed against his hip in time with the music before the chorus started and Dean pulled away singing the lyrics.

Castiel rolled his eyes at Dean who just grinned at him and continued to sing along. The teenaged laughed at the older man before giving in and singing along with him. Dean squeezed his hips and Castiel grinned at him as they sang in unison continuing into the second verse. Castiel’s hands wound around Dean’s neck as they swayed to the small interlude before breaking into the chorus again. Castiel laughed as Dean pulled back to air guitar along before he gestured to Castiel to sing the next verse. Castiel did so with as much exaggeration as he could as he knew he wasn’t the best singer but with Dean grinning at him as he was it was easy to forget.

They sang the chorus together once again before the song started to fade out and they broke into laughter. Castiel fell backwards as he laughed his head hitting the floor with a thump but he failed to care as he his body continued to convulse with laughter. As his eyes opened again, he was greeted with the sight of Dean hovering over him.

“You’re cute when you laugh,” Dean cooed as he pushed back the hairs that were stuck to Castiel’s forehead. Castiel glared up at Dean. He was _not_ cute.

“Am not,” he protested.

“Are too,” Dean retorted as he leaned down and brushed his nose over Castiel’s cheek. “Don’t worry you’re still manly.” Castiel huffed and turned his head as Dean continued his descend to Castiel’s lips. Instead of giving in however, Castiel turned his head denying Dean from placing his lips against his own. “Look at you Mr Pouty,” Dean teased with a chuckle. Before Castiel knew what was happening, Dean was pulling away but hands were caressing his sides and fingers wiggling. Castiel froze upon realisation of what Dean was trying to do.

“Dean stop–“ was all he got out before he dissolved into giggles as Dean tickled him.

“Nope,” Dean replied as he continued to run his hands up and down Castiel’s abdomen. Castiel’s muscles were protesting from the laughter as Dean’s onslaught continued. His eyes were tearing from the laughter and he couldn’t stop. He was almost at the point where he couldn’t breathe and was about to lash out and punch the man above him but Dean finally stopped.

“Fuck,” Castiel panted as Dean continued to laugh over him, “I actually almost punched you,” Castiel growled as he caught his breath. He shoved at Dean so that he was flat on his back on the floor. The teenager moved to straddle Dean’s thighs and leaned over him just as Dean had done to him. “Never do that again,” he said as seriously as he could muster. It didn’t work however as Dean broke into laughter once again and all his resolve was lost as he joined Dean. Once the laughter subsided, their lips met as if they really couldn’t get enough of each other and on Castiel’s end that was absolutely true.

Zeppelin continued to play in the background as they explored each other’s mouths and before long Castiel soon found himself distracted by the hardness he could feel pressing into his thigh. His hips rocked down into Deans as he showed Dean his own interest in the situation but in the back of his mind, the idea to pull back was present. He didn’t know why as it had never been an issue before but for some reason it throbbed until it became unbearable to continue. Reluctantly, he pulled away from Dean.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked confused as he sat up moving closer to Castiel.

“Nothing,” Castiel replied hurriedly to soothe Dean’s no doubt frantic thoughts, “Could we just not have sex tonight?” the teenager ask hesitantly. Every relationship Castiel had ever had was based on sex even his relationship with Dean had started on a sexual nature and he didn’t want that. Sure the times they had done _stuff_ had been great and he definitely wanted to do more but tonight just wasn’t the right time. They had opened up to each other and even though the music and the tickling and just _being_ with Dean had distracted him, the thoughts of his past were still in the forefront of his mind and he just didn’t feel up to it. “I’m just a little…”

“Vulnerable?” Dean asked taking the word right from his jumbled thoughts. “Yeah I get what you mean,” Dean answered as he reached out for Castiel. Castiel went willingly leaning into the touch when Dean gripped his face with his hands. “Do you want to just curl up in your bed and sleep? I’m actually pretty tired after this morning’s session,” Castiel nodded. He felt the same after being on edge all day at the prospect of going on a date with Dean that he was crashing. “That is… if you want me to stay?” Dean asked.

“Yes,” Castiel replied as he looked into Dean’s eyes, “I want you to stay,” he smiled as his hands came up to rest on Dean’s. “Let’s go to bed,” Castiel suggested as he stood to his feet breaking away from Dean’s touch. He stepped over to the record play detaching the needle from the vinyl and turning off the system before stepping outside to grab their bowls. Dean watched him from inside with a small smile on his face and Castiel felt oddly comfortable as they moved back through his apartment to the lower level. It was if they just fit together perfectly. Dean helped him rinse the bowls before they moved to his bed stripping down to their boxers and climbing inside.

They lay face to face their legs entwined and their bodies as close as they could be but still being able to look each other in the eye. Castiel’s finger traced over Dean’s tattoo on his chest while Dean’s own fingers moved up and down his back. Castiel shivered under the touch shifting closer into Dean’s embrace.

“What does your tattoo mean?” Castiel asked breaking the silence that had formed between them.

“It’s a protection symbol. My brother found it in one of Bobby’s books. He has all these books based around supernatural beings and Sammy found this one and decided that we should get it tattooed on ourselves.”

“I like it,” Castiel replied before he leant down and kissed the symbol.

“What about you? Why wings?”

“My mother,” Castiel replied trying to keep his emotion of his voice, “She was fascinated by angels it’s actually where my name originated. Cassiel was the angel’s name but my mother changed it slightly.”

Castiel was surprised when Dean’s lips pressed against his forehead, “They’re great Cas. Amazing way to remember you mother.” Castiel nodded against Dean’s chest as he started to doze off. “Goodnight Cas,” Dean breathed against his hair.

“Thank you Dean,” Castiel replied. He wasn’t sure what he was thanking Dean for but it felt right and if the way Dean’s arms pulled him in just a little tighter was any suggestion to go by, Dean felt the same. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The move was successful and easy so this chapter is being published. Hopefully our move in three weeks is just as easy. Enjoy :)

Castiel was warm and content as he was roused from his sleep from the rumble of Dean’s chest. The skin beneath him vibrated as Dean spoke and the arm that was tightly wound around him moved no doubt to put a phone to his ear. His sleepy mind didn’t react to it instead just pressed closer into Dean nosing at his chest as he clung on tighter. As Dean continued to talk, Castiel felt himself dosing off once again until a name was spoken.

“Crowley? What kind of name is Crowley and why are you ringing Cas at way-too-fucking-early o’clock?” Castiel’s eyes shot open as his body tensed. No doubt Dean had felt it because a hand was back on his shoulder tapping him to sit up. Slowly, Castiel did so unsure as what Dean’s reaction would be. He wasn’t sure of the time but as he glanced over at his alarm clock it confirmed it really was way too early to be awake but for a Friday night, it was a time that Castiel would have normally been drunk off his ass at some club with Crowley. “Yeah, yeah keep your pants on I’ll just get him,” Dean looked at him with confused tired eyes as he held out the phone for Castiel to take. Castiel saw a hint of anger in them but whether it was due to being woken up or the fact that Crowley was being an ass he wasn’t sure. With his hand braced on Dean’s chest he reached out for the phone and raised it to his ear.

“Hello?” he growled lowly into the device.

“Cassie darling!” Crowley’s slimy British accent greeted “Where are you and who is that answering your phone?”

Castiel moved to sit back against his pillows with his head against the headboard while Dean continued to stare over it him waiting for him to get off the phone. He rubbed a hand over his face as he let out a sigh. “I’m at home Crowley,” he answered purposely avoiding the second half of the question.

“You said you would be coming out this weekend after you failed to appear last week,” Crowley said seeming somewhat put out. Castiel wasn’t sure _why_ Crowley was calling him seeing as Castiel never ever really committed to going out with him.

“Plans change Crowley,” Castiel replied irritated that he had been woken up for no valid reason.

“I see that,” the man replied, “Hope he’s worth it.”

“Goodbye Crowley,” Castiel growled as he hung up the phone. He tossed it away in the general vicinity of his jeans before he slumped back against the pillows with a hand over his face. He felt Dean shift beside him and even though his eyes were covered he could feel Dean’s eyes on him waiting for him to look at him. With a sigh, he knew the conversation was inevitable, Castiel removed his hands from his face and turned to look at Dean. The older man was spread on his side propped up on his elbow with a hand under his head and a hard look in his eyes.

“So,” Dean began, “Care to tell me why some British asshole, who surprisingly _wasn’t_ Balthazar, is ringing you at two in the morning?”

Castiel sighed as he shuffled over to his side and mirrored Dean. “It’s a long story?” He tried but gave up at the glare Dean gave him in a return. “Look, you told me when you first met me that Bobby had told you about my ‘reputation’ so you must know that I go out. A lot. I sneak into clubs with a fake ID and I party until I can’t see straight. It’s what I do.”

Dean looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if disapproving of his lifestyle. Castiel gave a small scoff at the expression which Dean quickly schooled. The teen was sick of people constantly trying to tell him how to live his life. He liked to go out and party. Sure, Crowley was someone who he probably _shouldn’t_ hang out with but most of the other guys were nice enough people. They had each other’s backs when it came to creepers and it was always a good time when they went out. If he and Dean were going to become a thing, Dean would just have to accept that sometimes Castiel liked to go out and party.

Finally, Dean broke the silence between them, “So where does Crowley fit in?”

“He’s just one of the people I go out with,” the teen shrugged as he slumped onto the bed moving closer to Dean. “Can we go back to sleep now?” he pleaded wanting the conversation to be dropped. Dean’s face softened to one that Castiel read as a ‘we’re going to talk later’ which he was fine with as long as it meant that he could go back to sleep. He did value his rest after all and with Dean next to him, it was the best he had slept in years without meaningless sex beforehand. As Dean cuddled down next to him, Castiel couldn’t remember, if ever, he had just slept next to someone that wasn’t Meg. It was a somewhat foreign concept for him to share his bed with someone he hadn’t actually had sex with but it was definitely not an unwelcome one. As he nuzzled into Dean’s chest and wrapped himself around the other man once again, a smile spread across his lips. He was exactly where he wanted to be and he was happy to be there. Dean’s arm wrapped around him pulling him even closer and Castiel knew in that motion that Dean felt exactly the same.

The next time Castiel woke, he was content to find that he had shifted himself to have his back pressed up against Dean’s chest with Dean’s arms secure around him. As he pushed back further into Dean, he became aware of the distinct hardness pressing into his lower back. He squirmed against it feeling his own groin twitch at the sensation of having the large member pressed against him revelling in the small groan Dean let out as he continued to sleep. Castiel smirked as he shifted himself in Dean’s arms so that the hardness was instead pressing against his backside. He rocked back into Dean biting down on his lip at the sensation to hold back the noise that threatened to escape as he continued to grind against Dean. As he felt a wet patch start to form against the back of his boxers, his own cock had grown hard enough for him to want to reach down and take hold to release some of the pressure. He resisted as he knew anymore movement would more than likely wake Dean and he wasn’t sure if he wanted him to wake just yet. As his hips continued to grind, he was completely lost in the bliss of it all until Dean’s voice, low and gruff with arousal and sleep, startled him stock-still.

“Having fun?” he teased as his hips rocked forward into the teen’s as his lips brushed against the nape of Castiel’s neck. Castiel had lost it by that point. He was teetering on the brink of orgasm as Dean’s hips pressed into his ass harder than what he had been doing himself. Dean’s arm released him and pushed him onto his stomach to which Castiel whimpered. He immediately missed the warmth that was Dean’s chest against his back but the sensation of having his cock trapped between his stomach and the mattress gave him enough friction to relieve some of the pressure that had been building and building.

Nimble fingers pulled at the waistband of his boxers pulling them down over the swell of his ass and as Castiel watched over his shoulder, Dean shucked his own boxers before he draped himself over Castiel’s back once again. The skin on skin contact had Castiel groaning and pushing his hips back against the older man who growled at the motion before driving his hips down sending Castiel back down onto the mattress. Dean’s lips were on his back within moments his tongue tracing along the lines of the tattoo on his back as his dick slid between the teen’s cheeks. Castiel clenched his ass to give Dean a better sensation as his pre-cum glided the way.

“Fuck,” Castiel groaned as the head of Dean’s cock caught on his rim. Dean was all grunts behind him as his hips drove Castiel into the mattress harder and harder. His leaking dick begging for attention beneath him but as Castiel went to slide his hand under him, Dean’s beat him to it.

“Damn Cas. Feel so good,” Dean murmured as he stroked his dick. The sheet scrunched between his fingers as his hands clenched into the fabric while Dean continued to thrust forward stroking in time with his hips. Castiel couldn’t hold back the sounds that escaped from his mouth at the sensation. It had been a _really_ long time since he had let anyone hold him down and have his way with him and it had been even longer since he had been the one being pushed into the mattress but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. Dean was still talking to him praising him for how good he felt against him telling him all the dirty things he wanted to do to him.

With his orgasm fast approaching, Castiel was caught in two minds as to whether to buck into the hand stroking his dick or grind back harder against Dean. Dean was all grunts as he continued to push his hips harder into Castiel before his lips found a tender spot on the teen’s neck and started to suck a mark. Castiel gave him room to work before raising a hand to grip in Dean’s hair and pull his mouth towards him. The angle was awkward but neither minded as Dean’s tongue ploughed into his mouth tangling their tongues together. As they continued to grind, their breathing grew ragged and Castiel for one couldn’t hold back much longer. He chanted Dean’s name over and over as his body writhed underneath Dean before he let himself go and came all over the sheets and Dean’s hand. Dean’s hand stroked him through it as his hips continued to press against him before the weight against his back was gone as was the hand that had been wrapped around him. He looked over his shoulder through half lidded eyes as he watched Dean stroke himself before he too came spurting his seed all over the teen’s back.

Dean collapsed on top of Castiel who grunted under the weight but didn’t bother to move, too sated and content to protest. Eventually, the weight became too much and Castiel pushed himself up slightly with his palms to the sheets to push Dean off his back.

“Alright, alright,” Dean groaned as he shifted off Castiel and lay on his back beside him. The teen turned his head to look at him with a shy smile and was rewarded with a toothy grin in return. Castiel was surprised when Dean closed the gap between them cupping Castiel’s cheek and pressing their lips together. Their tongues explored and teeth nipped as they lazily made out in the afterglow of their orgasms. “Well that was a great way to wake up,” Dean joked as they parted.

“Mmm,” Castiel hummed savouring the taste of Dean on his lips, “I could definitely get used to it.” Dean’s hand stroked through his sweaty hair causing him to lean into the touch. It was probably his most favourite thing to have someone do to him after sex and with Dean it was no different. He shifted closer to allow Dean easier access to his head who chuckled.

“You’re like a cat,” he laughed but didn’t stop his ministrations as Castiel snuggled closer.

“Shut up,” he murmured quite easily able to fall back asleep but as he shifted again slightly, the mess on his back made him grimace. Castiel reached for Dean's discarded boxers and handed them over to him with a glare. "Clean my back, asshole," he demanded as he lay still on his stomach. There was a chuckle from Dean who moved to do as he was told.

"Demanding in the morning are we?" Dean cooed.

"I'm demanding all the time," Castiel retorted. He sighed as Dean's hands worked over his body to clean up the mess he made before the touch was gone and Dean laid back down. The teen went willingly into the embrace as the older man pulled him near and into his chest. As he lay in comfort for a few moments the craving for a cigarette made him move. He pulled away from Dean and shucked off his boxers that were still constricting his thighs before shuffling to the edge of the bed in search for something to wear. He picked up the first pair of jeans he saw and pulled them on only to find that they were a bit too big and sat low on his hips.

"Those are mine," Dean chuckled from where he was relaxed in the bed. When Castiel made a movement to remove them, Dean spoke again "Leave them. You look good in them."

Castiel shrugged before smirking "I look good in everything."

"And nothing," Dean replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Castiel laughed before heading over to where he had left his backpack the night before and searched through for his cigarette tin. "Where you going anyway?" Dean called out to him as he found what he was looking for. He took out one of his tobacco rollups tucking it behind his ear before moving over back to his bed to find his jeans that held his lighter.

“Smoke. You want one?" Castiel asked as he bent down to pick up his jeans. Dean's jeans slipped a little lower on his hips and he could feel the top of his ass showing as he stood up reaching back to pull them back up. He looked over at Dean to see him staring at him.

"You smoke?" He asked with raised eyebrows. Castiel only shrugged in reply "That's really not good for a swimmer."

"It's not good for anybody," he countered sarcastically. He was beginning to feel fed up with Dean already reprimanding him for his lifestyle and he hoped he wasn't going to make a habit of it or he was going to get pissed.

"Yeah I know but you're an amazing swimmer surely you'd want to look after yourself better," Dean suggested.

Castiel scoffed, "I look after myself just fine," before he turned and headed off to the steps in a huff. By the time he had made it outside and had taken a drag, he felt a little calmer but still annoyed at Dean. They had been on one date and Dean already thought he could tell Castiel what to do. The sound of the sliding door opening startled him slightly but tried to not let it show as he glance behind him at Dean dressed in what appeared to be his sweatpants. He understood now why Dean had let him wear his jeans because seeing Dean in his clothes made his gut churn in arousal. The sweatpants in question were normally baggy on Castiel’s slim hips but on Dean they fit perfect and hugged his figure slightly. Since he could feel himself forgiving Dean just by the sight alone, he turned back to look over at the cityscape once again to stew and smoke his tobacco.

"I can't believe you have emo crap in your vinyl collection," Dean joked apparently trying to lighten the mood. When Castiel didn't reply just kept looking out at the city, Dean tried again, "Seriously? My Chemical Romance? What are you a twelve year old girl?"

"I'll have you know MCR are a fantastic band so you can shove your criticism up your ass," Castiel replied angrily. Really was Dean going to start insulting his music taste now?

"Calm down Cas. It was just a joke," Dean calmed as he came closer to the teen. Dean’s arms wrapped around his waist as he pressed his chest against the teen's back. He placed a kiss to Castiel's shoulder before he rested his chin upon the bare skin. "Look, I'm sorry I shouldn't tell you how to live. You've obviously done a great job looking after yourself. I don't know many eighteen year olds capable of looking after themselves the way you have and not fall completely off the rails."

Castiel sighed as he took a final drag of his smoke before he stubbed it out and turned in Dean's arms to look the other man in the eyes. "Dean, if we're going to do this you can't try and change who I am okay? I like to smoke and drink and party and I've been doing it for years now and I've been just fine. Just because you don't think it's good for me doesn't mean I feel the same. I don't need you trying to save me. I'm fine as I am."

"I'm not trying to change you Cas," Dean replied his eyes were soft as he looked down at the teenager. Castiel couldn't help but get lost in them as he searched his features. Unable to look at him for much longer as he felt himself cracking, he looked away.

"Feels like you are," he murmured.

"I'm not," Dean replied with a hand to his cheek dragging his head back to him so Castiel had no choice but to look him in the eye once again.  "I like you as you are," he smiled before leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. "Even if you do smoke and drink and party. I'm not that old you know I can do those things with you."

Castiel grinned at him, "Promise?" he asked.

"Sure. Why not?" Dean replied.

"You want to go out tonight then?" Castiel asked eager to have Dean back on the dance floor with him.

Dean shook his head playfully, "Tonight really?"

"Yeah, why not? Unless you have something else on?" Castiel queried.

"No I don't it’s just I thought we could just shack up in your apartment for the weekend and just I don’t know be together, listen to your music collection maybe some other things…" he trailed off.

Castiel raised his eyebrows “Are you suggesting I’m that easy?”

Dean chuckled as he pulled Castiel into his chest, “Yes, yes I am.” Castiel shoved at his chest playfully as Dean broke out in laughter. Castiel couldn’t find it in him to stay mad at the comment as he joined in. He pushed Dean away from him and ran back inside but was pulled back just as he was about to go down the stairs and thrown onto the spare bed. Lips were on his own in seconds and Castiel had to fight to hold back the chuckles but he wasn’t the only one as Dean smiled and pulled back to continue laughing.

“You’re an asshole,” Castiel stated before pulling Dean down again by the nape of his neck. “But,” he continued as Dean pulled away, “I do like your plan better. A weekend here sounds good. We could make use of that hot tub,” he winked.

“Oh hell yes,” Dean agreed causing Castiel to grin wickedly up at him before their lips met again and they were caught up in one another’s mouths all over again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I say this every week but thank you for all your kind comments/kudos :) While writing this chapter I was listening to 'El Camino' by The Black Keys non-stop so if you'd like, chuck that album on while your reading and you might get a feel for my head space :)

Before things got too heated, Castiel pushed Dean off him and over the side of the single bed so he fell to the floor with a thump. He laughed at the look on Dean’s face as he gracefully slipped to the floor. He peered over the edge of the bed down at the man laid on the floor with a goofy grin on his face.

“You want some breakfast?” he asked the man on the floor as he sat up on the bed and threw his legs over the side planting them on Dean’s abdomen. “I think I have bacon and maybe some hash browns?”

Dean reached up and grabbed at Castiel’s ankles holding them in place as he rubbed his thumb over the bone. “Sounds good,” he hummed, “I like a man who can cook although I make a mean burger myself.”

Castiel raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, “Is that so? Well maybe you’ll have to make them for us some time.” The teen wiggled his foot as Dean’s touch became a little ticklish. He pressed his weight on his foot just a little as he stood with his other foot pressed to the floor. The movement earned a grunt from the man on the floor which had Castiel smirking. “You pick some tunes I’ll go get started on cooking.”

“Give me a minute from your fat ass stepping on me and I’ll get right to it,” Dean joked.

Castiel raised his eyebrows once again, “You sure it’s fat? By the way you’ve been ogling it since we met I’d say you rather like my ass.” He wiggled it to insinuate his point smirking as Dean’s jeans slipped just a little lower on his hips and how Dean’s gaze watched the movement with wide eyes. “Music,” he reiterated his index finger pointed at Dean before he thudded down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he stumbled over to the fridge with a smile on his face. When he heard the familiar sound of his favourite Bob Dylan record filling the space, his smile only grew. As he hummed along, he pulled the bacon and eggs from the fridge along with the hash browns from his freezer before placing them on the bench. After finding the frying pan he put it onto the heat and went to go find the oil. As he poured some into the pan, he heard Dean’s footsteps descending the stairs.

“I am insanely jealous of your record collection. How do you even have that many?” Dean asked as he wandered over to Castiel resting his hip against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.

Castiel cleared his throat as he hovered his hand over the pan trying to tell if it was hot enough to start cooking. “They were my Dad’s,” he said as he reached over for the packet of bacon. “He started collecting them when he was younger and didn’t stop. He’s the reason I love music so much. When I was probably about four, he would take me into the room where he stored them all and let me pick one out and then we’d sit in his big chair that he had in there with me in his lap and listen to the whole thing from start to finish without a word to each other.” Castiel could feel his heart constricting at the memory. It was painful to remember how good things were until it all fell to shit.

“That’s a nice memory,” Dean soothed, “It’s nice that you still have something that would make you feel close to him.”

Castiel nodded as he finally place the bacon strips into the pan careful of the oil splatters so they didn’t hit his naked skin. He pushed them round the pan with the tongs as he looked over to Dean. “Yeah I guess. It’s nice to have my freedom again. When I lived with my Uncle he wouldn’t let me listen to music because he found it distracting and if I even dared to-” he stopped in his tracks realising what he had just said – what he was going to say.

Dean must have read something in his expression because he stepped closer to Castiel and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay you don’t have to tell me anything,” Castiel let out a deep breath and nodded his head.

“Yeah,” he said simply as he stared down at the pan. After a few moments of silence with Dean’s hand rubbing his shoulder, Castiel finally spoke again, “Can you get two plates; they’re in that cupboard there,” he pointed to the intended cupboard and Dean moved in accord. Castiel missed the warmth of Dean’s hand instantly but Dean was soon back placing the plates down on the bench and moving behind him. Strong arms wrapped around his waist pulling him back against Dean’s toned chest as Dean pressed light kisses to the back of his neck.

“You’re one of a kind Cas,” Dean mumbled before pressing another light kiss to his neck. Castiel hummed in content with a small smile on his lips glad that Dean wasn’t pressing the matter. “Anything else I can do?” he asked softly into the teen’s ear.

“There’s orange juice in the fridge if you want to pour us some?”

“What no coffee?” Dean joked earning a snort from Castiel.

“There’s some of the instant crap on top of the fridge. I don’t really drink it though I prefer actual coffee,” he replied as he watched Dean step over to the fridge and find the carton.

“Why do you even have this if you don’t drink it?” Dean questioned.

Castiel shrugged, “Meg used to drink it so I always had some for her.”

Dean stared over at him with a raised eyebrow, “Who’s Meg? Should I be jealous?”

The teen snorted as he scooped the bacon out of the pan resting it on the plate before he picked up the eggs and cracked them into the pan. He shook his head as he did so, “Definitely not. Meg’s my best friend. She used to live here but she moved across the country a while ago.”

“Oh,” Dean replied, “That sucks.” Castiel simply nodded unwilling to let Dean know just how much it sucked knowing his best friend was ages away from him.

“How do you want your eggs?” Castiel asked deterring the conversation away from how much his life sucked right now.

Dean shrugged, “However you want them.” Castiel rolled his eyes at Dean’s indecision before deciding to just do what he always did and left them sunny side up. He grabbed the hash browns from the bench and took out a few placing them in the pan as well to crisp them up. While Castiel cooked, Dean poured them both a glass of orange juice.

As Castiel’s stomach started to rumble at the sweet aroma of food hitting his nostrils, the food was finally ready. He dished up equal proportions to both plates before letting Dean decide which one he wanted. They sat at the table with their respective dishes in front of them smiling at each other like idiots with Bob Dylan steadily playing in the background. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face at how quickly he and Dean had fallen into domesticity. Their feet tangled together under the table as they ate with Castiel running his foot underneath the sweatpants to get at the bare skin of Dean’s calf. He revelled in the way Dean’s eyes went wider at the motion before the teen averted his gaze and instead focussed on his meal. Castiel chuckled at Dean’s muttered ‘asshole’ as he continued to graze his toes along the coarse hair on Dean’s leg.

With their plates empty, Castiel slipped his leg loose from Dean’s pants before standing and stacking both their plates. He could feel Dean’s hungry gaze on him as he walked to the sink and plugged it to wash the dishes.

“How do you survive without a dishwasher?” Dean questioned as Castiel searched out the dish soap.

Castiel chuckled as he shrugged, “It’s normally only me. When Meg was around there was more dishes because she can eat just as much as me but I don’t mind doing them. It’s kind of relaxing.” He heard the scrape of Dean’s chair along the wooden floor before the soft padding of his bare feet came to a stop behind him. The older man’s hands wrapped around his waist once again and pulled him against his chest.

It was distracting to say the least to have Dean pressing himself against his back donning him with kisses while Castiel tried to do the dishes. Dean’s ministrations were getting difficult to ignore especially when he could feel Dean’s hardness pressing into his ass even through the loose jeans. The dishes were finished in haste while Dean’s hands roamed over his torso playing and pinching at his nipples which halted proceedings for the teen to throw his head back against Dean’s shoulder and moan at the touch. With Dean’s lips permanently attached to his neck, he knew he would definitely have some hickeys to show off on Monday but it wouldn’t be that big a deal as the whole school knew Castiel partied on the weekends.

“Dean,” Castiel breathed trying to get Dean to stop and let him finish. When the lips sucking at his neck didn’t stop, he tried again a little more insistently, “Dean stop,” he tried fruitlessly. After deciding he was obviously not going to get anything done with Dean behind him, he spun in Dean’s embrace and mashed their lips together. It was sloppy and heated as their tongues searched each other’s mouths but as soon as it was starting to go too far, Castiel pushed Dean away by his shoulders. “Go sit on my bed and wait while I finish the dishes.”

“Damn baby, you are bossy all the time,” Dean grinned as he tried to step forward only to be pushed back again. “I kind of like it,” the older man winked before walking backwards with his eyes still on Castiel as he headed in the direction of the bed. Castiel bit down on his lip as he watched Dean go licking over his lips in anticipation. He waited until Dean flopped back onto the unmade bed before returning to the dishes. He was almost done and he wanted to finish them now before he got so caught up in Dean that the left over egg and juices crusted over making them impossible to clean. He could hear Dean humming along from the bed and it made him smile as he finished off the dishes before placing them into the drying rack. Castiel drained the sink and rinsed his hands before drying them off. Once satisfied he turned on his heel to see Dean lying on the bed facing the ceiling. The lack of noise caught his attention and Dean’s head popped up to look at him as he braced himself on his elbows.

“You finished?” he asked. Castiel nodded in reply with a smile. “Then get your sexy ass over here,” he demanded with a smirk

Castiel shook his head, “Not yet,” he teased before leaving Dean with a confused look on his face as he moved to ascend the stairs. He heard Dean’s groan in annoyance as well as the springs of his mattress from Dean no doubt flopping back onto the bed. He snickered as he moved knowing Dean would be satisfied soon enough he just had to wait a little longer. Once at the top, he searched through his collection for the album he was looking for and placed it onto the player before replacing the Bob Dylan one back to its original spot. The teen quickly descended the stairs and made his way over to Dean who was sprawled on his bed. He bit his lip as he looked at him because Dean was absolutely breath taking.

Dean’s eyes opened and focussed on Castiel who grinned at him, “You left me to go put on another record?”

Castiel nodded, “It’s The Black Keys and this album is great,” he educated as he moved to stand at the foot of the bed. Dean sat up as he came closer scooting forward so he could reach out and grab onto Castiel’s hips. His large hands moved around his hips to cup his ass where they squeezed and kneaded the muscle before using his grip to pull Castiel down on top of him. Dean leaned back as they moved so they were lying on the bed as their mouths met. The teen moaned into the kiss as Dean’s hands moved up his back before they slipped down the waistband of his jeans to knead at his bare skin once again. His hips rocked down into Dean’s as they continued to kiss before the lack of skin to skin contact became too frustrating. Castiel pulled away reluctantly from Dean’s grip to pull down the jeans which easily slipped from his hips even without undoing the fly and threw them to the side of the bed. His cock was flushed and dripping already from their movements and he really couldn’t wait for Dean to be bare to him.

With a predatory look in his eye, he crawled up Dean’s legs before pulling at the sweats to bring them off his legs and threw them in the same direction as his jeans. Dean gasped at the rough treatment which had Castiel smirking up at him. Castiel watched hungrily as Dean licked his lips before the older man gestured for Castiel to come closer. The teen went willingly welcoming the hands that wandered over his bare skin before settling once again on his ass. Once they were aligned, Dean’s hands were pushing Castiel down into him which had them both gasping at the touch of their groins together. Their hips rocked together with their pre-cum and sweat slicking their slide with ease.

“Fuck Cas,” Dean groaned as he pulled back from their kiss for air. Castiel opened his eyes staring down at Dean as he deliberated the idea before deciding that yeah he definitely wanted that.

“You want to?” Castiel panted his eyes focused on Dean as their hips continued to move together. At Dean’s eager nod Castiel couldn’t help but chuckle, “Thought so.” For the second time, Castiel reluctantly pulled away in search of lube and a condom that were in his bedside drawer before returning to Dean. “You want to do it?” Castiel asked holding the lube out to Dean.

“Hell yeah,” Dean grinned as he sat up as Castiel laid down. Castiel smiled at Dean’s eagerness as he lay out on the bed getting comfortable in the pillows. They were already starting to smell like Dean and he couldn’t stop the swell of _something_ that curled deep inside him. Dean’s hands pushed his thighs wider and Castiel obliged as he watched Dean settle between his spread legs before tentatively leaning down to graze his cheek along his skin. Castiel trembled at the touch of the stubbly cheek to his bare skin as his skin broke out in goosebumps. A soft kiss to his thighs had his breathing growing deeper and he had to let out a deep breath to relax himself.

It was quiet as Dean kissed up and down his thighs and hips, purposely avoiding the place Castiel craved his touch, the only sound was of their ragged breathing and the record playing on. It was a distant noise but Castiel caught himself seeking out the song to distract himself so he could prolong the experience with Dean otherwise it was going to be over before it started. The first touch to his rim had him gasping. He didn’t know when Dean had slicked his fingers but the cool sensation of a searching digit against his heated skin startled him.

“It’s okay baby. Just relax,” he soothed as he kissed his thigh once again as his finger pushed inside.

“Dean,” Castiel breathed looking down at him to bring Dean’s attention to him. “Stop fucking around and prep me,” he growled earning a chuckle from the older man.

“Jeez Cas I’m just trying not to hurt you,” he reasoned.

Castiel rolled his eyes, “You’re not going to now hurry the fuck up,” he demanded.

“Yeah okay,” Dean agreed as he finally started to thrust his finger earnestly into Castiel. The teen threw his head back with a sigh of pleasure before groaning as another finger entered him. There was a small burn as he knew there would be as it had been a while but it was nothing he couldn’t handle and he knew Dean would use more than enough lube. Two fingers were scissoring inside him as he rocked down to meet them before they crooked and sent his back arching off the bed at the sensation.

“Fuck yes Dean,” he keened as Dean prodded at the same spot over and over before thrusting his third thick finger inside him.

“Damn Cas,” Dean groaned, “Your ass is greedy as fuck. Can’t wait to be inside you.”

“Then hurry the fuck up,” he growled back before closing his eyes and loosing himself in the sensation once again. All too soon but not soon enough, Dean’s fingers were gone and Castiel found his hips grinding down onto nothing. The teen watched through half-lidded eyes as Dean donned a condom and slicked himself before lining up with his hole. Dean’s hand guided his legs upwards so his knees were almost pressed to his chest while the other held his thick, flushed cock in hand and lined it up with Castiel’s ass. Dean locked his eyes with Castiel searching for permission to which Castiel nodded.

“ _Fuck,_ ” he moaned as Dean began his slow slide. Dean was _big_ and Castiel could feel every inch of him splitting him open as he slowly slid himself deeper.

“You okay?” Dean asked as he pushed a hand through Castiel’s hair before leaning down and kissing at his neck.

Castiel gritted his teeth and nodded, “Yeah just give me a second.” He breathed through the slight burn before the ache started to recede. It was nowhere near as bad as his first time even though it had been a while since he’d bottomed. Tentatively, he rocked his hips to test it out. Happy he’d be okay, he clenched down on Dean which earned him a hearty growl before Dean’s hips pulled back and slammed back in. “Oh fuck,” he sighed as Dean pulled out again. His hips thrust back in just as hard the next time which had Castiel clenching his hands onto Dean’s shoulders as his legs wrapped around his waist. “Mmm yeah that’s it Dean,” he praised as the man’s hips thrust into him. Dean shifted him slightly and with the change of angle it hit a spot inside him that had him crying out and throwing his head back into the pillows. “Fuck yeah Dean do that again,” Castiel demanded as Dean continued to try and hit the same angle. “Come on Dean harder,” he said through gritted teeth. When Dean’s thrusts weren’t nearly as satisfying as he needed, he flipped them over.

With hands braced on Dean’s chest he smirked down at the surprised look on Dean’s face. “Let me show you how I like it baby,” he soothed with his hand gliding down Dean’s chest lightly scraping his nails. Dean only nodded dumbly as he gripped onto Castiel’s hips as they rose. The teen slowly rocked himself in Dean’s lap teasingly trying to find the right angle that had his body shuddering. Once he found it, he raised himself up and slammed himself back down. The slap of Dean’s sac to his ass had Castiel letting out a loud moan as the sensations took over his body. His momentum picked up as he rode Dean digging his nails into Dean’s chest as he moved trying to keep his pleasure under control.

“Look so good like this Cas,” Dean praised, “Keep going baby want to see you come.”

Castiel opened his eyes and tilted his head forward to look down at Dean with a smirk, “You’re going to have to do better than that to make me come, _Coach_.” Dean’s grip tightened on Castiel’s hips as he thrust up into the teen hitting that spot over and over as Castiel met him thrust for thrust. Needy gasps for air escaped his throat as he hiccupped Dean’s name over and over feeling the thrum under his skin as he saw the end in sight. His thighs were burning and he was starting to tire but with Dean pounding his ass into oblivion he failed to care and continued to ride Dean with his dick bouncing against his stomach on every plunge.

“Touch yourself Cas,” Dean panted and Castiel hurriedly obliged wrapping a shaky hand around himself as they continued to move together. He keened at the contact stripping his cock in time with their timely thrusts.

“Fuck yeah Dean,” Castiel praised. “So fucking good in my ass,” he continued as he felt himself pulled to the edge so close to coming. “I’m gonna come Dean,” he warned as Dean continued to pound into him.

“Do it,” Dean replied to which Castiel executed with a shout of Dean’s name as he came all over himself and Dean. It was the most intense orgasm he had had in a while and it took him what felt like forever to come down but once he did, he realised Dean hadn’t come yet and was still thrusting into his loose, relaxed body.

Castiel collapsed down onto Dean’s chest and kissed at Dean’s neck as he rocked down onto Dean ignoring the over-sensitiveness in favour of helping out the older man.

“You going come Dean?” Castiel cooed into his ear. “You going to fill my ass up? You’re so big Dean I’m going to be feeling it for days. Come on Dean. Come in my ass I want to feel it.”

With a silent cry, Dean came with a shudder thrusting deep into Castiel before slowly rocking to stop. Castiel took the chance to slip off of Dean’s lap while Dean breathed through the aftershocks and settled in the glow. The teen settled himself into Dean’s side after removing the condom and disposing of it lifting Dean’s arm so he could rest his head on Dean’s chest comfortably. They smiled at each other sleepily before sharing a chaste kiss that lacked any of the passion they had just shared. Without another word, they fell asleep with the music still playing in the background.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few other works going on right now one of which I already posted if you want to check it out. Anywho enough with the shameless self-promotion on with the chapter

Castiel awoke stretching like a cat realising he ached in all the right places. A smile crossed his lips as he remembered _why_ he ached. He looked out towards his living room and realised it must be late afternoon by the way the sun was entering the floor to ceiling windows in the lounge area. He turned his head to check the time and was startled to find that Dean was no longer in the bed with him. He felt a deep regret form in the pit of his stomach that his time with Dean meant nothing to him and it had just been yet another notch on Dean’s bedpost. The teen covered his face with his arm in shame as thoughts ran through his mind as to how he could have been so stupid to believe that Dean actually wanted a relationship with him. It was as he was in a pit of despair wondering how the hell he was going to face his next training that he realised there was still music playing from the speakers that definitely was _not_ The Black Keys that he had put on previously.

Confused, Castiel shucked back the covers and removed himself from the bed finding all their clothes still spread on the floor with his sweat pants noticeably absent. He hit himself on the head with his palm as he realised how stupid he was being. With a sigh, he picked up Dean’s jeans and slid himself into them before heading off in search of Dean. Of course he found him upstairs sat on the floor in Castiel’s sweats with a spread of vinyl in front of him. Dean looked up at the approaching teen and smiled before shifting himself so Castiel could sit down in his lap. Their lips met gently in greeting and Castiel couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face before the guilt of what he thought earlier got the best of him and he pulled away in shame. He ducked his head as he traced his fingers over Dean’s tattoo with Dean’s doing the same on his back.

“I thought you left,” he whispered into the space between him.

Dean’s fingers stopped their movement and Castiel immediately missed the sensation. Gentle fingers lifted his chin up so he was looking up at Dean again before Dean closed the gap and kissed him again just as gentle as his fingers.

“What did I tell you about assuming things?” he replied with a small smile.

Castiel dropped his head and nodded “I know,” he whispered, “It’s just…” he trailed off not wanting to get into the darkness that surrounded his past. He didn’t want Dean to know that much just yet. He knew as soon as he told him, Dean would see him differently and he didn’t want that to happen. He liked who he was with Dean and how Dean treated him. Not wanting that to change, he let the unfinished sentence hang in the air. Thankfully, Dean let it go and instead pulled him closer in his lap before kissing him once again. It was sweet and fulfilling and Castiel felt content as they parted.

“Shower?” Dean asked to which the teen hastily nodded. Hand-in-hand they made their way downstairs to the bathroom where they entered the shower with their lips attached and Dean showing Castiel just how wrong he was in thinking he had left. Castiel can’t remember the last time someone worshiped his body as Dean had in that shower. By the end of it, Castiel had to brace himself on the slippery tiles or else he would have fell to the floor as his legs had turned to jelly at the way Dean had used his tongue on his dick. It was hands down the best blow-job he had ever received especially with the way Dean stared up at him through his lashes as obscene sounds fell from the teen’s mouth in praise. As they dried off, Castiel had to stop and admire the hickies that graced his skin of his torso. He let out a snort as he put Dean’s jeans on again.

“What?” Dean asked staring over at him in amusement.

“Nothing,” Castiel replied with a shake of his head. “Just laughing at the fact that now I have to come up with a story as to how I got all these hickies at training on Monday. I figure saying that Coach fucked me good on the weekend won’t be appropriate?” he teased. Dean laughed in amusement before pushing Castiel’s shoulder.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” he said as he left the bathroom donned in Castiel’s sweats with Castiel admiring his ass the whole time it was in his view.

Curled up on the couch together they turned off the music and settled in to watch a movie on Castiel’s Netflix. In the end they didn’t watch much of the movie instead, they were too caught up in each other and exploring the other’s mouth with their tongue. With the movie over, they decided to order some takeaway for dinner and ordered in food from a Thai restaurant just down the road from the teen’s apartment. They made the walk together – after dressing in more family friendly attire – and Castiel felt giddy inside as Dean took his hand and linked their fingers together as they walked. Castiel paid for the meals much to Dean’s protest but Castiel just silenced him with a kiss before handing over the required amount putting the change into the tip jar. It wasn’t as if he was short on money anyway so it wasn’t a big deal especially after Dean paid for their meals the previous night.

With the takeout bag in hand, they walked back to Castiel’s apartment where they curled together again on the couch to eat their meals. They put on another movie as they ate this time actually watching the film before they lay down on the couch with Castiel’s head rested on Dean’s chest. They migrated to the bed not long after the film finished where they go lost in one another once again.

In the morning, Castiel awoke this time to Dean still in the bed asleep. Castiel had been curled into Dean’s side with his head rested on Dean’s chest listening to his heartbeat. After a few moments of adjusting to being awake, Castiel rose up from Dean and shifted to the side so he could watch him. He was unsure how much time passed but when Dean awoke, he grinned at Castiel sleepily and Castiel couldn’t help but find the motion the most adorable thing he had ever witnessed.

“Time is it?” Dean mumbled as he wiped his eyes free of sleep.

Castiel shifted to look at the time, “Eight,” he replied before returning his attention to Dean.

“As much as I’d like to spend all day here, I actually promised my brother I’d meet with him today,” Dean admitted somewhat sheepishly. Castiel shrugged as he nodded and thought about asking if he could just reschedule but thought better of it. He didn’t want to come across as needy and even though Castiel didn’t have any family to spend time with, he wasn’t about to stop Dean from seeing his.

“It’s fine,” the teen eventually replied. “Family time is good,” he said with a smile. Dean kissed him on the lips before getting out of bed and searched the floor for his clothes.

“Give me your phone and I’ll give you my number,” Dean spoke as he dressed himself looking at Castiel who was still spread out on the bed in nothing but a pair of boxes. The teen froze for a moment as he realised Dean was asking to give him his number which he already had.

“Um,” Castiel hummed nervously, “I kind of already have it?” He didn’t mean it to but it came out more of a question than anything else.

Dean looked up at him from where he was slipping on his jeans with a confused look on his face, “and how is it that you have my number?”

Castiel bit down on his lower lip as he sat up on the bed, “I may have asked Gabriel for it last week.” When Dean raised his brow at him, Castiel continued, “Don’t look at me like that. I was pissed at you and I wanted answers so I asked him for your number.” He didn’t add the part about Meg telling him to send him pictures because he thought that might just make things even more awkward.

Dean didn’t say anything as he pulled his shirt over his head but he did kneel down on the bed and shuffled over to Castiel who lay back down so Dean could hover over him. There weren’t any words spoken as Dean covered his mouth with his own but Castiel could feel his body wanting to just pull Dean on top of him and make sure he never left. When they parted, Dean was smiling.

“It’s fine Cas. A little gutted you haven’t used it yet though,” Dean smirked to which Castiel just thudded him on the shoulder with a loose fist.

“Don’t you have some place to be?” he joked because in reality he really didn’t want Dean to leave. Outside of the weekends, they couldn’t be this close. When they were on school grounds they would have to keep their distance and act as if nothing had changed between them. It was hard enough to keep away from each other for the past week let alone after the weekend they’d spent together. The only good thing was that they had a meet with one of the rival schools in two weeks which meant that the next week and a bit of training would be dedicated to trial times and racing each other. Castiel always found himself solely focussed on the races in the few days before a meet so with it coming up, he knew he wouldn’t miss Dean too much. Or so he thought.

When Dean finally dressed himself fully, he moved to the door with Castiel trailing behind like a lost puppy. He was sad to see Dean go after their time together but knew they would be talking soon. Castiel pulled Dean back as he was about to open the door and kissed him sloppily on the lips. The dumbfounded look on Dean’s face had Castiel grinning before he reached past Dean and opened the door for him.

“I’ll call you later,” he said with a wink before he lightly tapped Dean on the shoulder and turned him around to guide him out of the apartment. Dean tried to turn around but Castiel wouldn’t let him. “Dean, if you don’t leave now you never will and then your brother will be pissed because you missed your plans.”

Dean nodded in agreement, “I guess you’re right,” he resided.

Castiel smirked, “Of course I’m right. Now leave before I drag you back to my bed.”

Dean leant forward and kissed him once on the lips before he turned on his heel and headed in the direction of the elevator. When Dean disappeared from his view, Castiel closed his apartment door and fixed himself with breakfast. It was nothing elaborate like the day before just a simple bowl of cereal with a side of toast because he was too tired to actually cook something. Once finished, he had a shower and stripped the bed before washing the sheets. The rest of the day was spent cleaning up after Dean and him before he settled at his desk to finish his homework that was due the upcoming week. He got through a majority of it before he grew bored. His phone was taunting him from where it sat on the end of his desk and before he knew it, it was in his hand and he was typing out a message to Dean.

**[To Dean: How’s your day with your brother? - Cas]**

He set his phone down on the desk once again and fiddled with his pen in his hand tapping it on the wooden surface as he stared at his phone waiting for a reply. When none came within a few moments, he let out a resigned sigh and returned to his work. By the time he’d finished and organised dinner for himself, he still hadn’t heard from Dean. Castiel didn’t think much of it simply because he knew Dean was probably having quality time with his brother and didn’t want to ruin it by messaging the teenager. With a sigh, he remade his bed before settling in it missing the warmth of another body instantly. He pulled the pillow that Dean had been using closer to him and hugged it tight. The case smelt of his detergent but as he inhaled deeper there was a trace of Dean’s scent on it and Castiel smiled as he snuggled deeper into the pillow.

On Monday, Castiel woke up rejuvenated from his weekend. He may not be on time but he wouldn’t be as late as he normally would be as he climbed out of bed and into the shower. After he was dressed, he picked up his cellphone and checked it surprised to find that he had an unread message. He quickly unlocked his phone and opened his inbox before smiling seeing it was a reply from Dean.

**[From Dean: Glad to see you used my number ;) sorry about the late reply. We have a rule not to have our phones with us when we get together. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t be late]**

There was an emoticon at the end with a face poking its tongue out and winking which had Castiel chuckling before shoving his phone in his jeans. Keys in hand, backpack over his shoulder, Castiel left his apartment and to his car to drive to school making it just in time for the end of home room.

By the time training rolled around, Castiel was unsure whether he wanted to give the Dean the satisfaction of him turning up on time or not. With the meet only a week out, he needed all the training he could get and would normally turn up on time. Of course, Dean wouldn’t see it that way, if he even knew Castiel turned up on time when meets were close. Instead of dwelling on it, he decided to just turn up to training on time and just let Dean know it definitely was not because his punishment techniques were getting pretty obscure.

The swimmer entered the locker room with a smile greeting his fellow teammates with a grin. He took his usual seat outside his locker and quickly put his backpack away and changing into his gear. As he put on his trunks, Gabriel and Balthazar walked in and sat beside him.

“Jesus,” Balthazar gasped. “There is only one reason you would show up on time to training which means there must be a swim meet soon”

Castiel chuckled as he nodded, “Yes Balthazar, we have a meet next week.”

“Fuck,” Balthazar cursed before he turned to Gabriel and punched him in the shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded.

“Ow you fucker,” Gabriel whined as he rubbed his arm. “And I did tell you. Coach told you too; last week at training.”

As the two bickered, Castiel removed his shirt and shoved it into his bag. He didn’t notice the arguing had stopped until he turned to see both friends staring at him with wide eyes. Balthazar however quickly snapped out of it before dissolving into a smirk.

“Fun weekend, Cassie?” Balthazar teased as he gestured to Castiel’s bare chest. He glanced down at himself and belatedly realised that he was covered in bruises from Dean. He smirked as he looked back at his friends.

“The best actually,” he replied with a wink. “You should see the other guy.” With that he grabbed his swim bag and made his way out towards the pool leaving his friends to trail after him.

When they caught up, Gabriel was the first to speak, “So who is he?” he asked. “Are you going to see him again?”

Castiel shrugged as they turned the corner only to see Dean stood by pool side looking at a clip board before writing onto the whiteboard what they were supposed to be doing for the session. He smiled as he watched him concentrate on what he was doing and felt a swell of affection for the man rush through him. “Yeah I’ll probably see him again,” Castiel confessed shrugging off more questions from Gabriel as to whether they would be able to meet him. The teen didn’t miss the look he got from Balthazar and couldn’t help but chuckle. Their laughter brought on the attention of their coach who looked over at them with wide eyes. Castiel definitely didn’t miss the way Dean’s eyes raked over his body or how they darkened with lust as he eyed the hickies.

“Novak,” Dean announced surprised before looking at his watch. “You’re actually on time? Has my punishments finally gotten through to you?”

Castiel smirked at him as he dropped his bag to the bench and took out his cap and goggles. “Don’t flatter yourself Coach. I always turn up on time in preparation for a meet.”

Dean grinned at him, “Well that’s good to know. I’ll keep thinking of new ideas for punishment once the meet is over then.”

“Sounds good to me, Coach,” Castiel retorted.

The swimmers congregated around their coach as they waited for the stragglers to emerge from the lockers to hear what they would be doing for the session and the remainder of the week in the build-up. Once they were all there, Dean started talking.

“As you all know, we have a meet next week which means that we need to start timing ourselves and practice racing. I know you have a rivalry with the other school which means that should be urging you to push yourselves that much more to win. It will be my first competition with you guys so hopefully, if we all put in the effort, we can come out on top.” Castiel watched in awe as Dean kept speaking. He soon became distracted however by the way Dean would lick his lips every so often and find his mind running memories of the weekend back to him. It was Dean’s glare towards him that snapped him out of his reprieve. “Am I boring you Novak?” Dean asked him.

Castiel cleared his throat before speaking, “Not at all Coach,” he grinned. “Please continue,” he gestured to Dean with his hands.

“As I was saying, I want you guys to win as many heats as we can and take these guys to the cleaners. So put in the effort and if we manage to win them all I might just shout you apple pie after the meet.” Castiel rolled his eyes at the lack of a real prize but he knew if they did manage to win, Dean would reward him in a completely different manner to the rest of his teammates. “Alright then. Jump in and warm up and then we’ll start some races,” Dean said with a clap of his hands. The team moved to their respective lanes to do their warm-up while Castiel stayed behind to give Dean a once over with a bite of his lower lip. He really wanted to do nothing more than give Dean a kiss but knew it was completely wrong to do so and if Dean’s gaze was anything to go by, he was having the same issue. “Warm-up Cas,” Dean whispered just loud enough so Castiel would be the only one to hear him, “We’ll talk more later.”

Castiel nodded and moved towards the blocks making sure to give Dean a good view of his ass as he moved away from him. When he turned as he approached the block he was grinning as he realised Dean had watched him just like he knew he would. He winked at the older man before putting on his cap and goggles and dove into the water to warm-up. Maybe training would be harder for Dean than it would be for him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realised today that I'm moving again this week and that will be Thursday/Friday and Friday is the day I normally sit down and write out the next chapter. Hopefully I can still find time to write it and get the next chapter out to you all for next week but I'm not making any promises. If you follow me on Tumblr I'll more than likely let you know on there if there's going to be a chapter or not :)
> 
> This chapter features a swim meet and although I swam when I was at school, it is probably different in the States so I'm sorry for inaccuracies. Hope you it enjoy it either way :)

Castiel took a calming breath as he readied himself. He adjusted his goggles insuring that they wouldn’t come off before bending down and bracing his hands on the board. He took another deep inhale before slowly exhaling to try and calm the nerves that were racing through his body. If anyone called his name now, he wouldn’t be able to hear it. He was in his element completely blocking out all thoughts and sounds other than what was before him. It was his first individual race of the day and he was completely on edge a mere few moments before. The week leading up to the race had been a difficult one.

After their weekend together, Castiel found it excruciatingly difficult to stay away from Dean and even more difficult to focus on the upcoming meet with him there at every training. As he swam, he could feel Dean’s eyes on him and it was distracting to say the least. It made him think that maybe, they had made a mistake pursuing their relationship when they had. When he was with Meg, he never had the issue as she was never around during their swim trainings and they never had the emotion behind their sexual endeavours other than one of friendship. It had never been an issue before because he never had the emotional attachment before but now with Dean in the picture, and right there to see him, it became an issue.

At first, Castiel put it down to the fact that what they had was new and it would soon pass after the first few trainings. To help, he had left with his teammates and hadn’t hung around to chat with Dean. Once home, he would do his homework, cook a meal, and get ready for bed before he would finally give in and call Dean. They’d talk for a few hours but Castiel never let Dean know what was on his mind about Dean distracting him. He had suspected Dean already knew based on the fact they never talked about swimming during their calls but it was left unvoiced and it began to eat away at Castiel. When the distraction hadn’t passed by Friday, he knew he had to talk to Dean about it.

With training done for the morning, Castiel departed as usual with his teammates with a long look at Dean to tell him to hang around so he could talk to him once he came back. Once showered and dressed, Castiel returned to the pool area to find Dean packing away some of the gear that was lingering around. He looked up as Castiel came closer and had a big smile on his face.

“Hey Cas,” Dean greeted the teen noticing Dean’s hands twitching by his side eager to reach out and pull him into a hug. Castiel almost went forward anyway but held back knowing their agreement to stay platonic on school grounds but after nearly a week of nothing but conversation it was almost too hard not to.

“Hello Dean,” Castiel replied returning the smile. “Can we talk?” he winced as the wording knowing it sounded as if he wanted to break it off with Dean and by the way Dean’s face hardened, Dean had interpreted it that way. His smile fell and his eyes hardened with his jaw clenching. His whole demeanour closed off and Castiel had to quickly assure his meaning, “It’s nothing bad I promise.” He smiled what he hoped was reassuringly in Dean’s direction and even though it did little to settle Dean’s obvious edginess, the tension in his shoulders did ease slightly.

Without further conversation, the two silently packed up the rest of the gear and put it away in the store cupboard before moving to Dean’s office where they could speak freely. Castiel didn’t have long before the first bell would ring and would miss breakfast but he needed to speak with Dean and decided going hungry for the first half of the day wouldn’t be so bad if he could sort out what was happening between them. Castiel followed Dean through his office door closing it behind him as Dean moved over to his desk and settled in the chair behind it while the teen took the seat opposite. It was the first time since last Monday that he had been in Dean’s office and he felt a spark of arousal rush through him at the thought of that last lunch break. If Dean’s smug grin was anything to go by, he was remembering it too. A deep sigh bought Castiel out of his memory and into the present.

“What do you want to talk to me about?” Dean asked hesitantly as if waiting for Castiel to break up with him.

Castiel gnawed on his lower lip as he tried to find the words, “Seriously, it’s nothing bad,” he reassured, “it’s just you’re distracting the shit out of me.” He sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. When Dean started laughing, Castiel lifted his head and glared over at the other man. “This isn’t funny,” he growled, “We have a swim meet coming up and I can’t do my best because I can _feel_ your eyes on me watching my every move.” When Dean didn’t stop laughing, Castiel grew fed up and stood to his feet rounding Dean’s desk. “This isn’t funny Dean,” the teen barked as he rounded Dean’s chair, “I don’t need distractions right now I need to win these heats and make it to nationals and I can’t do that with the tension in me.”

The smirk that crossed Dean’s face was downright predatory and it had Castiel backing away from the other man. “Tension huh? And what kind of tension are we talking about Cas?” Dean drawled as he reached out to grip onto the teen’s hips.

“Dean don’t,” Castiel pleaded weakly as Dean pulled him closer. His attempts to stop Dean were pathetic and in no time at all Castiel found himself in Dean’s lap with Dean’s lips attached to his. He was pushing weakly at Dean’s shoulders trying to get away but Dean’s grip was firm and after a few moments of useless struggle, he gave in and kissed Dean back. It was like coming home giving into Dean letting the older man have his way and kiss him senseless. Eventually, he came to his senses and pulled away. When Dean tried to follow, he placed his hand across Dean’s lips pushing him back. Dean teasingly licked at his fingertips which had the teen chuckling but he schooled himself quickly back to the matter at hand.

With Castiel’s eyes locked on Dean he saw when Dean finally realised he was being serious. Dean shifted back from his hand so he could speak, “What do you want then Cas? Do you want a break from us?”

It pained Castiel to hear it and he quickly shook his head, “No Dean. Not at all,” he replied. “I have no idea what I want but I need to somehow get over you being a distraction because I need to focus and right now I can’t.”

Dean’s face contorted with confusion, “Okay… So we just need to find a way to get you to focus even when I’m around?” Castiel nodded in agreement, “Alright then. Let’s find a way for you to lose your tension and make sure you keep your focus,” Dean grinned before he leant forward again and claimed Castiel’s lips. Castiel let it happen because he hadn’t had Dean for almost a week and it was what he needed. “Maybe,” Dean began as they parted, “It’s because we haven’t been together this week. I mean after the weekend I know I was aching to touch you”

“Me too,” Castiel replied with a grin as his fingers played with Dean’s hair at the nape of his neck the other rested on his chest where he knew the tattoo laid beneath the fabric.

“Then maybe we should just spend more time together?” Dean question as his hands rubbed the teen’s back. Castiel was about to voice his protests to the idea but Dean was quick to reason, “I mean it’s worth a try right? The whole reason you can’t focus is because you want to be with me so maybe if we just hung out more then we could ease that tension away? Maybe start up our lunch dates again, no funny business obviously because I don’t want to risk getting caught, and this weekend we can go out again?”

Castiel nodded in reply. He had to agree with what Dean was saying because the reason he was so distracted was because of his need to just _be_ with Dean. With the week of abstinence and hardly any contact other than trainings and phone calls late at night, it had tension running high. “Alright,” he finally answered, “Should we do takeout and a movie at mine tomorrow night?” he asked as he traced his finger over the hidden tattoo knowing the marking by memory.

“Sounds great,” Dean murmured against his lips. They were interrupted by the bell ringing and Castiel reluctantly climbed off of Dean’s lap and gathered his belongings. “I’ll see you at lunch?” Dean asked as Castiel shouldered his bag.

“Yes Dean,” Castiel replied with a grin, “I do need my coffee after all.”

After that and their date on Saturday which had ended in a rough frottage session on the couch, the tension Castiel carried around eased somewhat. With constant contact with Dean and the resumption of their lunch dates he was able to focus more on training and not on what Dean was doing on pool side. By the time the day of the meet arrived, Castiel was completely focused on the task at hand. His nerves always got to him when they arrived at the venue but he was confident in his ability and he never let it show that he was nervous before a meet to his teammates because he knew they looked to him as a senior role model along with Gabriel and Balthazar.

Their first event was the women’s relay and he knew that their girls’ team would easily carve up the other school as their team’s times were only slightly shy of the men’s. They sat in the bleachers cheering on their team as they beat the opposition convincingly leaving everyone to believe that their team would win every heat that would be raced that day. With the men up next, Castiel was at the block in a team huddle with everyone as they pumped themselves up. Once called to the starter’s block, the room went silent as they lined up in their respective positions. Gabriel had a strong start and easily reached back to the wall after his stint with precious seconds to spare as Balthazar launched into the water. Their other teammate Inias was third to launch and by the time it came to Castiel’s turn, they were neck and neck as they touched the wall. Castiel pushed hard focusing on his strokes and his turns before hitting the wall with a somewhat comfortable lead and winning the race for his team. It was smiles all round as they congratulated themselves before they returned to the bleachers to wait for their next race.

Dean was close by throughout the races with gentle touches here and there but nothing that could be interpreted has anything more than a coach congratulating his athlete. As they sat in the bleachers, Dean would sit next to him a safe distance away and interact with the team giving them motivational tips for when they would race as well as pointing out some weaknesses he had noticed during the races. He was like a mother hen making sure all of the team were eating and drinking enough between races so they didn’t get run down and making sure they did a proper warm-up and warm-down before and after their events.

Whenever Castiel came to race, he would easily zone out to everything other than the starter’s voice and just focus solely on the race at hand. With the final race of the day before the freestyle relays ahead of him, Castiel was nearly drained of all his energy. Of course, he had been eating and drinking as Dean had made sure of that, but his muscles were beginning to tire and he could feel the beginnings of fatigue settle in. Luckily for him, he knew what it was like to be bone tired and still having more swimming to do after his after training sessions with Dean. If anything, the sessions of Dean’s creative punishments had given him better stamina for race days.

Putting how tired he was out of his mind, Castiel stepped up onto the block and readied himself. He crouched down on the block ready to launch as soon as the hooter went off. With a steading breath and slow exhale, he was ready. As soon as the hooter sounded, he was launching off the dive board like he had thousands of times before hitting the water in a smooth dive before surfacing mere seconds later. He pushed himself hard through his breaststroke as he knew it wasn’t his strongest and he knew the swimmers from the other school were well defined in their techniques. On the turn he was sitting in a close third with the leaders easily within reach and by the time he’d made it to the other end, he was closing in on first. By the final turn, he was in the lead and making a distance between himself and the other competitors. With the end in his sights, Castiel touched onto the wall and glanced to his right to see the other competitors touch in. With a smile, he ripped off his cap and goggles and climbed out of the pool to walk over to his teammates. His time wasn’t his best but it wasn’t far off so he was happy with the result.

The freestyle relay was the last event for the day and it consisted of the same team as the medley as they were also the strongest freestylers in the group. The women had already narrowly won their race giving their school a clean record of wins for the day and it was just up to the men to do the same. They had a quick team chat to calm each other before they took their places on the block. Castiel was tired he knew he was but he felt a shot of adrenaline pump through him as the hooter sounded and Balthazar launched into the water. They cheered him on the entire way as he came into the final touch at the same time as the other racer. Inias launched next trying to push himself to get their team a lead but misjudged his turn slightly on the last one and came out precious seconds behind as he touched the wall. Third to depart was Gabriel and Castiel watched eagerly hoping he wouldn’t have too big a disadvantage to make up as he entered the water. Unfortunately, Gabriel seemed to be losing his strength as well and he ended up almost an entire body length behind the other racer as he touched into the wall. Castiel faintly heard the crowd cheer as he dove into the water pushing himself as hard as he could. He paced himself as best he could but with such a big lead to make up, he had to push harder than he wanted to. As he came into the second turn, he had made up some time and was about half a body length behind. At the third turn, he was almost neck and neck with the other swimmer and he pushed himself as hard as he could off the wall and managed to turn at the same time on the fourth turn. As they raced down the pool, Castiel felt his muscles protesting and he was breathing rapidly which would slow him down.

When he touched onto the wall, he had no idea what had happened or what the result was but his teammates were there to pull him out of the water and if the grin on their faces meant anything, he had pulled off yet another win. He was too exhausted to celebrate however and ended up moving over to the bleachers to sit down. Dean was there to hand him his towel but when the teen made no move to grab it, his coach wrapped the item around his shoulders to keep him warm. The teen smiled warmly at him which was easily returned.

Once recovered, the certificates were handed out and the teams congratulated one another before departing the facility back to their schools. When they got back to the school, the team congregated in the carpark to decide their plans for the night.

“So Gabriel,” Balthazar began, “Party at yours?”

Gabriel chucked, “When isn’t there a party at mine after a meet? Everyone knows where to go correct?” he asked looking around the group.

Castiel was only half listening to the group as Gabriel dished out directions as well as bragging about the copious amount of alcohol his parents had stored in the basement that they never drank nor checked their stock leaving the teenager to take full advantage of his parents’ absence on the weekends. The teen was more interested in what Dean was up to. The coach had been fiddling with his phone the entire drive back and hadn’t spared more than a glance back at Castiel. In reality, Castiel did want to party but he really wanted to party _with_ Dean. He knew it wasn’t appropriate for Dean to be invited to Gabriel’s seeing it was an underage party and if they were caught, Dean would get in a lot of trouble for condoning their behaviour.

As if sensing Castiel’s gaze, Dean looked away from his phone and over at the teen giving him a smile before frowning as he heard Gabriel listing of various brands of alcohol.

“Whatever it is you’re planning on doing to celebrate, please for the love of God don’t talk about it where I can hear. I am still part of the facility and should probably report you,” Dean replied somewhat jokingly but Castiel could still hear the seriousness in his tone. Castiel couldn’t stop the snicker that escaped though because he hadn’t done a thing to stop Castiel at the bar where he had used a fake ID to gain entry.

“Yeah, yeah, coach. You’re just jealous you aren’t invited,” Castiel replied cheekily. The comment earned him raised eyebrows and a grin.

“Right because I want to hang out with a bunch of high school students on a Friday night,” he retorted and even though the rest of the group oohed, Castiel was smirking in his direction hidden from the rest of the group due to the fact that he had his back to them.

Castiel crossed his arms over his chest as he took a step toward the other man. “Probably beats sitting at home wishing you had an actual party to go to,” Castiel smirked.

“Whatever Novak. You kids have fun I’ll see you all on Monday,” he saluted the group before turning on his heel and heading in the direction of his car. As Castiel watched him leave, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. As he turned back to the group who resumed their conversation about the party, Castiel pulled out his phone and read the message he had received.

**[From Dean: I was actually thinking we could meet up later?]**

Castiel smiled at the text before quickly tapping out a reply.

**[To Dean: Thought you didn’t hang out with high school students?]**

He pretended to be listening to the conversation as he waited for a reply. He didn’t have to wait long before it vibrated again.

**[From Dean: I’d always make an exception for you ;) You think you could get away from that party of yours and meet me at Delta later?]**

Castiel grinned down at his phone earning a look from Balthazar. Castiel waved him off as he sent his reply.

**[To Dean: I guess I could arrange that]**

When a message came back that Dean would message him when he was on his way to the club, Castiel pocketed his phone and bid goodbye to his teammates with a promise that he would be at the party. Castiel grinned as he entered his car because finally, he was going to get another night out with Dean and this time he knew Dean wouldn’t be leaving him alone on the sidewalk.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The move went well but I didn't get a chance to write at all this weekend but good news from Good Friday on I'll have eight days off except for Sunday's so I plan to actually finish the fic in that time and then slowly post it out if all goes well :)

When Castiel arrived home he made his way up to the balcony where he removed the cover to his hot tub and started the bubbles. He slipped out of his clothes unfazed to be seen naked in his own home before climbing in. He felt the tension in his muscles ease as he relaxed into the cushion on the edge and just let his body float up with the bubbles. His eyes slipped closed as he relaxed letting the events of the day wash over him and sink in.

The time after a swim meet was when Castiel would have personal reflection over his performance and whether or not he did his best. It was clear there was a lot of room for improvement as although he had won every race, a lot of them had been close shaves for him to win. Whether that was due to the build up being somewhat below-par as he had been distracted the first week or if it was just due to the fact it was just the first meet of the season was unclear. One thing was for sure though he would definitely take his training up a notch from then on.

As he let himself relax further, he felt the tiredness from the day get one over him and he felt himself starting to doze off. Knowing that it was not a good idea to fall asleep in a hot tub, he climbed out and grabbed a towel from inside. He wrapped it around his waist before he headed downstairs taking his clothes with him. He threw his clothes into the bathroom before he did a quick dry of his hair and body with another towel. Once he deemed himself dry enough, he pulled his phone from his bag that was unceremoniously dropped by the door and set his alarm for six. Castiel then face planted onto his bed, his towel the only thing covering his naked body, and fell asleep.

Roused from his nap a few hours later, Castiel groaned as he reached over to stop his phone wailing its alarm tone. His nap left him drowsier than when he had lain down but he knew he would benefit from it once he had woken up a bit and had a meal. The teenager shuffled off the bed, the towel that had been around his waist slipping loose as he stood. Without worrying about clothes, he moved over to the kitchen to scour the fridge for food. He was due to shop on Sunday and as a consequence was running low on supplies. With a sigh, he opened the freezer and pulled out a frozen pack of mac ‘n’ cheese. He knew it wouldn’t be that great a meal seeing he planned on drinking tonight and would more than likely regret it in the morning but there was always the chance of convincing Dean to stop off at a diner or something when they had finished their night out. The teen grinned at the prospect of another night out with Dean. He was excited to spend the night dancing amongst other things. Of course, before he made it that far he had to attend the swim team party.

To be fair to his teammates, the parties that Gabriel threw were usually quite great. The team would let loose and they would end up bonding a lot better making them quite a tight knit group. There were infinite stories that would emerge from their shenanigans at the party and would be rehashed at every out of town swim meet. However, Castiel would eventually want to go out dancing and find someone to take home with him. It meant that the teen would leave his teammates behind – sometimes Balthazar would join him – and head out on the town. The team knew he liked to go out and they never held it against him that he did leave as he usually stayed with them until they were starting to wind down.

Tonight would be no different. Castiel would have a few drinks with the team and then let Dean know he was heading to Delta where they would meet and have a good time at the club for the night.

With the prospect of a night with Dean ahead, Castiel left the kitchen with the mac ‘n’ cheese in the microwave to find something to wear. He searched through his wardrobe for something decent pulling out potential items and threw them onto his bed. With the choices laid out before him, he decided on blue jeans that hugged his figure deliciously – as most of his clothing did – which had a while belt to go with them and a white button down which he would roll the sleeves up and his black waist coat over the top. Once again the shirt clung to his swimmer’s body and he knew as soon Dean saw him in it he would want to take it off him again.

As his outfit was sorted, he put the rest of his clothes away before heading back to the kitchen to settle down to eat. The food was at a suitable temperature to eat and not too hot as he had taken a little bit of time to sort out his clothes. It didn’t take long to finish and after cleaning up after himself, he went to the bathroom to shower. Once he had thoroughly cleaned himself, he exited the shower and checked himself in the mirror. He had shaved that morning before the meet but there was already the beginning of a shadow forming however he knew that the presence of stubble made him look older and would ease entry into the club if the bouncers he was friends with weren’t on shift.

After dabbing on some cologne, he left the bathroom to dress. Castiel checked himself in the mirror as he donned his outfit and knew he looked good. Wanting to give Dean a look at what he was wearing, he grabbed his phone from the bed and took a photo. He quickly pulled up Dean’s number and sent him the photo. With confirmation that it had sent, he dropped his phone to the bed and searched his wardrobe for his shoes. He fished them out before slipping the black dress shoes on hearing his phone vibrate as he did so. Grinning, he picked up his phone and looked at the answer.

**[From Dean: Damn baby looking good. Can’t wait to see you later ;)]**

Castiel quickly tapped out a reply saying he was eager to spend time with Dean at the club before pocketing his phone. He stood from the bed and grabbed his keys, wallet, lighter and smokes before exiting the apartment excited for the night ahead. Knowing it would be a bad idea to take his car as it would just end up sitting at Gabriel’s for the night meaning he would have to get it the next day, he opted for a cab. The driver let him run into a bottle shop when they passed one and Castiel grabbed a bottle of Midori knowing the sweet liqueur was a favourite of Gabriel’s.

A cab fare later, Castiel was stood on the porch of Gabriel’s somewhat mansion ringing the doorbell. With the loud bass that was emitting through the front door, he knew it wasn’t heard and instead just opened the door and entered. Castiel had been to the house enough times to know the place by heart and wandered through to where the den was. It was the area that Gabriel’s parents let him entertain his friends that had a large television, a surround sound stereo system, a variety of arcade machines and other novelty items such as a pool table. It was a huge space that still had a large area that would accommodate dancing bodies when Gabriel threw his parties. For now, there weren’t that many bodies dancing as everyone was crowded around the mini bar watching Gabriel mix drinks. As Castiel walked closer, they noticed his presence and turned to greet him.

“Cassie!” Gabriel called out, “You made it!” It was obvious the teen had already had a bit to drink but wasn’t drunk yet just in the state that he was ‘happy’.

Castiel smiled at his friend as he spoke, “I see you’ve got a head start on me,” he joked, “Here, I bought you this.” Castiel handed over the melon liqueur who took it greedily.

“Yes! I fucking love this stuff!” Gabriel shouted hugging the bottle tight to his chest. “Let’s make some shots!” he yelled to which Castiel whole heartedly agreed to along with the rest of the group.

Castiel watched as Gabriel lined up the shot glasses for the people that said they were all for a shot. The Jägermeister was pulled out along with cinnamon schnapps to make a layered shooter. Castiel looked at the shot with a scrunched up look knowing he was going to regret it as soon as the liquid hit his throat but seeing it was a celebration of sorts, he would suck it up. He had had worse in his mouth after all. Once all the shots were poured, each person took their respective glass and raised it into the middle to clink their glasses together.

“To our winning team!” Gabriel declared to which everyone gave out a cheer before swallowing their shot down. Castiel was right in assuming it would taste horrible. His face scrunched in disgust as he placed the glass upside down onto the counter before looking at the rest of the group to see similar faces of disgust. “I’m never making that again,” Gabriel said as he kept licking the roof of his mouth to get rid of the taste. The group agreed in unison before resuming what they were doing before Castiel showed up.

“You got any Red Bull?” Castiel asked feeling like a pick me up after the long day he had.

Gabriel smirked at him, “Sure do,” he said. “You want a Jagerbomb?”

Castiel nodded in assent, “Why not?” he replied. Jagerbombs were one of his favourite shots to have. The Jager tasted disgusting but the Red Bull made up for it and it was _always_ a good night if Jagerbombs started the evening off.

Once again, Castiel watched Gabriel set up a shot for him. Balthazar wandered over as Gabriel finished pouring the Jager and gestured to Balthazar silently asking if he wanted one. Castiel turned to look at the British teen with a grin who rolled his eyes and nodded. The three seniors took their shots in hand holding both glasses up in the air to once again to make another toast. They both looked to Castiel to do the honours.

“To breaking records at nationals,” he said with a grin to which the other two laughed before chinking their glasses and dropping the Jager into the Red Bull. They chugged back the shot skilfully having done them at every swim team party they had been to since Castiel had joined the team.

With alcohol in his system, Castiel felt himself relax into the environment he was in with his teammates. He would talk to them all and make small talk about just about everything but when the topic came to how the rumours of the people Castiel had been caught making out with had ceased, he quickly changed the topic not wanting to divest further. He was drunk but not _that drunk_. There was no way he was going to reveal that the reason it had stopped was because he was now with Dean. His teammates seemed to either not notice Castiel’s diversion of the topic or didn’t care because they didn’t mention it and stayed away from the topic.

When there was a lull in conversation, Castiel made his way over to the pool table to have a game with Balthazar. The two teens had a bit of a rivalry when it came to pool as they were equally talented at the game and would have close duels every time they were playing. As they had both had a fair bit to drink by the time they set up the balls, the game was slower than their normal pace but it was no less competitive. There were taunts exchanged and insults thrown left right and centre but they had no malice behind it. When Castiel won however, he did rub it in Balthazar’s face for the next hour.

On a nice buzz, Castiel pulled out his phone to send a message to Dean. He couldn’t wait to meet up with him later and really just wanted to talk to him.

**[To Dean: What time did you want to meet?]**

Castiel bit his lip as he held onto his phone half participating in the conversation that was going on around him.

**[From Dean: Why don’t we meet outside Delta at 10?]**

Castiel nodded as he replied to the text having to close one of his eyes to re-read the text just to make sure the auto-correct function on his phone hadn’t made any weird typos.

**[To Dean: Sure. Can’t wait ;)]**

With a glance at the time, he sighed knowing he still had another hour before he would be able to leave to meet up with Dean. He was having a good time with his teammates but he knew he would have a better time with Dean.

“What are you sighing about?” Balthazar questioned him from his right. They were seated on the two-seater couch that face outward to the rest of the room watching the others dance around. Castiel chuckled as he saw young Samandriel red faced from alcohol dancing erratically with Inias. The two looked quite snug in the way they were dancing with each other and Castiel couldn’t stop the surge of want that surged through him.

“I’m meeting with Dean later,” Castiel replied low enough that only Balthazar would hear it. The music was loud so there wasn’t much of a chance of being overheard but he didn’t want to risk it.

Balthazar nodded, “and the long face is because?” he asked.

“It’s not for another hour,” Castiel replied.

Balthazar full out laughed at the comment, “Are you serious? Wow you’re like a lovesick puppy,” he joked.

“Whatever,” Castiel sneered, “You’re just jealous I’m guaranteed to get laid tonight and you’re not.”

The teasing earned a chuckle from Balthazar, “I guess you’re right. I’m glad you found someone though, Cassie.” Balthazar clapped him on the shoulder with a smile before removing it again and sipping at his drink.

Eventually, the time finally came that Castiel had to leave in order to meet up with Dean. He had been glancing at his phone to check the time every thirty seconds and had grown fed up with it. Instead of sitting in the corner willing time to go faster, Castiel poured himself more drinks and joined the ones that were dancing. It made him forget for a little while about meeting up with Dean and by the time he had finished his fifth drink, it was time for him to leave. He bid farewell to his teammates asking if Balthazar would like to tag along and go to Delta as well but the teenager decided he’d rather stay with Gabriel for once. Castiel nodded and hugged him goodbye before heading outside to where a cab was waiting having called to order it earlier.

Once in the cab, he pulled out his phone and messaged Dean that he was on his way. When he got a smiley emoticon in reply, he grinned stupidly down at his phone. His heartbeat increased as he grew closer to the town centre where Delta was situated. He had never been this happy to have a night out with someone in his life. Sure he had had some great night outs with Meg over the years but that had been different. He wasn’t in love with Meg.

The realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks and he found himself freezing in the cab unable to comprehend what he just realised. Was he in love with Dean? He had never been in love with someone before but he felt as if what he felt for Dean was just that. Being with Dean was euphoria. Everything about the man was perfect; he was charming, sweet, funny, understanding, and to top it all off he was sexy as hell. He respected Castiel and even if he did piss Castiel off with comments about his lifestyle, he knew when to back off and leave him be.

When the cab came to a stop, he looked out the window to see Dean stood at the door looking up and down the footpath and checking his phone. Castiel sat where he was even with the driver reciting the cab fare to him. He had to get the man to repeat it for him as he was in such a daze he hadn’t heard it. After he paid him, Castiel climbed out of the cab and made his way towards Dean. As soon as Dean saw him, his whole expression lit up and Castiel felt his nerves come rearing back. It scared him beyond belief that he was in love with Dean. Love made him vulnerable and open for heartbreak and even though he didn’t think Dean would be capable of hurting him, it still could happen.

However, when Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel and pulled him in for a kiss, his worry was forgotten as he lost himself into the taste of Dean. He smiled into the kiss leaning further into Dean’s warmth not wanting the kiss to end. He wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck crowding in even closer to the man. Too soon, Dean pulled away so their lips weren’t attached but still close enough that Castiel could feel his breath on his face.

“You want to head inside?” Dean asked with a grin. Castiel nodded and released Dean’s neck. Dean’s hand entwined with his own pulling him toward the entrance to the club.

The club was buzzing when the couple entered and Castiel found himself pulling closer to Dean so that he wouldn’t lose him in the crowd. He knew from experience it was pretty easy to lose someone in the crowd as he had – on more than one occasion – used the crowd to his advantage to lose a creep. As they moved, Castiel glanced around the room searching for a familiar face but coming up short. He hadn’t heard from Crowley since that weekend where Dean had answered his phone and he didn’t know where the man would be tonight but he hoped it wasn’t at Delta. With Dean pulling him in the direction of the bar, Castiel had no choice but to follow.

Unfortunately, Tony wasn’t on staff tonight which meant they had to wait like everyone else for their drinks but it didn’t take long before they were sipping on their beers and checking out the club once again. Castiel kept close to Dean before slowly starting to move to the beat of the music against his side. Dean grinned at him and pulled him towards the dance floor keeping their hands locked together. When they found a spot, Dean let the teen’s hand go and rounded on him. They still had their drinks in hand so they couldn’t get too touchy as they didn’t want to waste their drink by spilling it on the floor.

With his arm draped over Dean’s shoulder and Dean’s free hand resting on his hip, they moved together to the beat of the music. He couldn’t stop smiling as they danced whether it was due to the amount of alcohol he had drunk or the fact that he was content to be with Dean he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he loved Dean and he was scared about that for sure but with the way Dean was looking at him and smiling, he felt his nerves slip away.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning that there is a little violence in this chapter (not between Dean and Cas) just so you are aware of that

Castiel was having the time of his life. He and Dean had been dancing for hours on end and he didn't think he'd ever had as much fun as he was that night.

Once they had finished their drinks they had got rid of their empty bottles so they could put some more effort into their movements. Dean's hands, as if it was his go to, were rested on Castiel's hips while Castiel danced to his heart's content. He was grinding against Dean moving against him to the beat of the bass and making sure everyone in the room was jealous of Dean.

It was obvious Dean was thoroughly enjoying himself even though he was well out of his depth with his lack of confidence in his moves but he seemed to want to make Castiel happy by continuing to dance with him.

For extra insurance, so Castiel knew Dean wasn't getting bored, he'd rub his ass in his skin tight jeans, along Dean's crotch. Dean would groan his appreciation into the teen's ear before nibbling at the soft skin of his ear lobe or sucking yet another hickey into the base of his neck. As always, Castiel let the man mark him up loving the fact that everyone in the club would know Dean was his.

When they were sweaty and parched the pair would make their way to the bar to take a few shots before fighting their way back to the dance floor to do it all over again. By the time they were heading up to the bar for the third time that evening, Castiel had a pleasant buzz and was clinging to Dean tightly to keep the room from spinning dangerously. Apparently Dean could handle his alcohol better than him.

"You okay baby? You want a glass of water?" Dean asked him loud enough so he could hear him over the loud thrum of the music. If it had been just another John, Castiel would have laughed in his face but seeing it was Dean and he had a lot more plans for the night than just harmlessly grinding on the dance floor, he opted for the sensible option and nodded. Dean kissed his cheek leaving him to rest at a stool near the side of the club away from the dance floor while he went off to get them their refreshments.

Bored, Castiel pulled out his phone and checked his messages. He frowned as he looked down at the screen to see he had multiple unread messages. He squeezed one eye shut to be able to read the blurry screen properly. After the third try, Castiel finally entered the right code to unlock his phone and opened his inbox. There were a couple of messages from Balthazar updating him about the shenanigans still happening at Gabriel's and Castiel chuckled at the photo that was attached of the host of the party in the pool with nothing on but a lamp shade on his head. If the teen wasn't having so much fun with Dean he may have felt a pang of regret for leaving.  But he was having an amazing time with Dean so it was hard to find an ounce of regret.

It was the messages from another contact in his phone that had his gut churning for a completely different reason.

**[From Crowley: What are you doing tonight Cassie? Fancy a night out?]**

**[From Crowley: I'll take that as you've already got plans for the night then]**

**[From Crowley: We're heading to Delta if you want to join us]**

It was the last message that has his stomach rising into his throat as he glanced up from his phone and quickly whipped his head around the room. The last thing he wanted was to run into Crowley on his night out with Dean. He knew Dean would disapprove and he really didn't want their mood to be dampened by running into Crowley. They had been having such a good time and he knew if Dean met the Englishman then their night would go to shit.

Just as Castiel was doing yet another scan of the faces of the dancing bodies he could see, Dean came back.

"You okay?" He asked as he placed another bottle of beer and a glass of water in front of the teen. Castiel nodded trying to reassure Dean with a smile but he couldn't school his startled expression fast enough and Dean picked up on it. "Tell me what's wrong," Dean said as he crouched down next to Castiel's side so he could be heard over the beat.

"Nothing's wrong," Castiel tried to reassure, "I was just missing you." He hoped it would work but it didn't.

"Don't lie to me. You had a stupid grin on your face the entire time I was gone up until you pulled out your phone. I watched you the whole time. So what happened?" Dean had a hard look in his eyes as he spoke and Castiel swallowed heavily. The teenager could see just by the look in his eyes that he wasn't going to be allowed to dodge the conversation easily.

"Fine," he sighed. Instead of explaining further, he handed his phone over to Dean who took it and looked down at the screen.

He burst out laughing a few seconds later. "Jesus, that guy knows how to party," he laughed into Castiel's ear making a shiver pass down his spine. He adored Dean's laugh and every time he heard it, it made his stomach do a flip. The laughter died out as Dean turned back to Castiel with a confused look set upon his face. "I don't get it," he said, "Why were you looking like you'd seen a ghost when you saw the picture of Gabriel?"

Castiel gnawed on his lower lip unsure if he should tell him the truth or not. He shrugged as he took his phone back from Dean. "I don't know. Guess I just felt a little gutted I missed it," he lied.

Dean's face fell. "Oh," he breathed. "If you wanted to hang with them all you had to do was tell me."

Castiel quickly shook his head and reached out for Dean pulling him close so that their foreheads were touching. He ran his hand through Dean's sweaty locks pulling gently before turning his head to the side so he could speak into Dean's ear insuring that Dean would hear him, "I wanted to be with you, not them."

"You sure?" Dean asked. Without answering, Castiel turned Dean's head and planted their lips together trying to portray with his tongue just how sure he was. "Okay," Dean panted, "You wanted to be with me."

Castiel grinned. "Good. Now let’s go dance again," the teen replied as he stood downing his glass of water watching Dean finish his beer before dragging him along by the hand back to the dance floor. As they moved through the crowd of dancing bodies, Castiel was constantly on the lookout for Crowley. He eyed everybody in the place with a suspecting glance on edge on seeing the short, stout man. If Dean noticed him looking around, he didn’t say anything but Castiel had always been talented at keeping his date interested while looking out for other potential hook-ups. Of course, this time it was different as he was definitely still interested in Dean he was just wary of Crowley running into them. When he came up short once again, he decided to give Dean the attention he deserved.

Castiel turned in Dean’s embrace so they were face to face, wound his hands around Dean’s neck and tangled his fingers in the other man’s hair before bringing him down for a kiss. Their hips rocked together to the bass as their tongues tangled together. As the kiss continued, Dean’s hands moved from the teen’s hips down to his ass where they massaged him through his jeans. It caused Castiel to moan into the kiss and grind himself harder against Dean’s thigh.

“Cas,” Dean panted as they parted, “You want to get out of here?” Castiel nodded readily if Crowley was there or if he hadn’t arrived yet and they missed him completely, then Castiel would be more than grateful. Dean grinned down at him and gave his ass a slap to which Castiel yelped. He smirked up at Dean however and gave him a light kiss to the lips before grabbing Dean’s hand and pulled him in the direction of the exit.

As they neared the exit, he saw him. It was out of the corner of his eye and he didn’t dare to turn his head in the direction because if he did he knew it would be suicide and Crowley would end up chasing after them. Instead he kept his eyes focused on the door and kept walking towards it. However his efforts proved futile as just as they were about to enter the crowded tunnel Dean’s hand tugged hard before his hand pulled free.

“What the fuck?” he heard Dean yell behind him. Castiel quickly rounded seeing two of Crowley’s friends holding Dean. Just as the teen was about to launch himself on them, Crowley appeared from behind them.

“Leaving so soon?” the asshole smirked. “Why don’t you join us for a drink?” he asked gesturing to the table off to the side. Castiel looked past him to see the guys he would normally hang out with and he waved to them with a small smile before he returned his attentions to Crowley.

“No thank you. We were just leaving,” he replied as he moved towards Dean. The two cronies he knew to be the ones that helped keep the creepers away let Dean go thankfully and Dean quickly moved to Castiel’s side.

“I can see that,” Crowley said as he eyed Dean up and down. “Is this the fellow I had the delight of speaking to last weekend? I do say you have outdone yourself Cassie.”

Castiel rolled his eyes about to reiterate that they were just leaving before Dean spoke up, “So you’re Crowley? Nice to put a name to the face.”

“The one and only,” Crowley replied with a narcissistic smile.

“Great well now that we have that the introductions are out of the way, me and my boyfriend were just leaving,” Dean replied with his own fake smile before he grabbed Castiel’s hand and pulled. Castiel felt his stomach do a backflip at the word boyfriend and couldn’t help the giddy smile that spread across his face.

“Not so fast,” Crowley shouted as the two men from before blocked their path. “I haven’t seen you in over a month Cassie. I think it’s fair if you stay for a drink. After all I am the one that supplies you with your dope.” Castiel felt Dean tense beside him. Sure Dean knew about the cigarettes but he had no idea about the weed. “Surely the least you could do would be to have one measly drink with me?” Castiel could feel Dean’s eyes on him as he glared over at Crowley. He clenched his jaw as well as his free hand into a fist.

“Crowley,” Castiel growled, “I would like to go home with my boyfriend. I can have a drink with you another time.” Castiel stepped away only to be pushed back again by the man behind him. He turned to glare at him only to watch amazed as Dean pushed him back. Crowley’s bodyguard, Frank, didn’t like being pushed around and ended up pushing Dean back.

“Fuck off would you,” Dean yelled as he pushed him again.

“Don’t fucking push me!” Frank yelled.

“Then don’t fucking touch Cas you son of a bitch,” Dean retorted.

“Dean, stop. You’re just making it worse.” Castiel tried to calm by placing a hand to his shoulder. He could see Dean breathing his nose as his jaw clenched. Hoping Dean wasn’t going to do anything further, Castiel turned back to Crowley. “Let us go Crowley. We don’t want any trouble and if you don’t let us go, there will be.”

Crowley’s face contracted into a scowl. “Fine go play slut with your _boyfriend_ ,” he snarled.

Before Castiel could even react, Dean had thrown his fist into Crowley’s face with enough force to send the man to the floor landing with a thud. Crowley’s men were on Dean in an instant pulling him back as Castiel watched with wide eyes. Crowley got to his feet rubbing at his jaw stepping into Castiel’s personal space so he was breathing on his face as he spoke.

“Get the fuck out of here and _don’t_ come back,” he growled his spit spraying Castiel in the face.

“Fuck you!” Dean yelled as he tried to shake himself out of the grip that was holding him.

“You don’t own this place Crowley. You have no authority here,” Castiel growled back. “The only reason I put up with your sleazy wandering hands was because of those guys over there who actually look out for their friends. As for you, you’re just a slime ball that can’t get laid unless he puts something in someone’s drink. So fuck you Crowley.”

“You little shit,” Crowley spat but before he could speak further, Castiel had his fist clenched and planted straight into the other cheek that Dean hadn’t hit. He didn’t know what possessed him to do it but suddenly he was standing over Crowley who was on the ground grabbing at his face as Castiel pounded punch after punch into him. As arms pulled him back, he tried to shake out of them until they wrapped around his waist and forcibly pulled him away.

He became aware of Dean’s voice in his ear trying to calm him down and once he realised it was Dean, Castiel ceased his pummelling and turned to face Dean. He had a wide grin on his face but was still obviously shocked by Castiel’s display.

“Damn Cas, didn’t know you had that in you,” he joked as he pulled Castiel by the hand out of the club. Castiel was in a daze as they climbed into a cab and headed back to his place. Dean was still holding onto his hand the whole drive and all the way up to his apartment.

Once they were through the door, Castiel was up the stairs in a flash pulling out his tin and lighting up. He needed something to calm him down and tobacco wasn’t going to cut it. He didn’t care what Dean thought of it nor the fight that was more than likely going to happen because of it; all he cared about was getting something in his system that would stop the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins.

Castiel heard the sliding door open and knew it was Dean so he didn’t bother to turn around. Dean’s arms wrapped around him as he took a long drag and exhaled into the air watching smoke rise up and disappear. Just as he was about to tell Dean that he wasn’t going to give up his weed for him, Dean’s hand reached out for the smoke and took it hand. Castiel watched with wide eyes as Dean took a long drag from the joint before he let out a slow exhale up into the sky just as Castiel had done. He grinned as he handed it back to the teen.

“What?” Dean asked.

“It’s just I was expecting you to go nuts at me for smoking weed,” Castiel replied as he took another drag not wanting it to go to waste. He could already feel himself calming down and having Dean against his back was doing wonders as well.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Dean began taking the smoke from the teen and taking another drag. “I don’t want this to be a regular thing but once in a while isn’t so bad,” he shrugged.

Castiel grinned, “See this is why I love you.” He froze as he realised what he had just said. Dean’s arms tensed around him and Castiel’s gut sank and not in the good way it had been earlier. He felt queasy as if he had been spinning round in circles for far too long and was on the verge of throwing up. Castiel turned away from Dean and buried his face into the railing of the balcony unable to look at Dean’s face any longer and see the rejection that would no doubt be there.

“Cas,” Dean breathed and Castiel knew in just that one word that this was it. Dean was going to call it off and tell him that it wasn’t going to work out. Things had got too complicated and now Dean was going to end it; so much for not getting his heart broken. “Look at me,” Dean requested.

Reluctantly, Castiel pulled his face from the railing and looked up at Dean, his eyes on the verge of tears ready to flow at the words that were going to fall from Dean’s mouth any second now.

“I love you too,” Dean’s lips were upon his own in a second and Castiel didn’t even have time to react. His brain was still trying to catch up with what had happened as his mouth carried on kissing Dean back for all he was worth. It grew messy quickly as their tongues deepened the kiss and their hands were gripping at each other’s clothes.

“Bed?” Dean asked.

“Bed,” the teen agreed pulling Dean by the hand back into the house. They paused for a moment to stomp out the stub before they were stumbling their way to Castiel’s bed. When they reached the stairs, Castiel was shocked when Dean’s arms wrapped under his thighs and lifted him. The teen clung to Dean as if scared he would drop him instantly wrapping his legs around Dean’s waist to ensure he wouldn’t fall.

When he was certain that Dean wouldn’t let him go, Castiel pulled back loving the change in height. He tilted his head down and once again mounted their lips together relishing the leverage he had on Dean. He thrust his tongue downwards into Dean’s mouth loving the moan he got at the motion. Somehow, they made it to the bed in one piece only once stopping so Dean could press Castiel against the front door and thrust their hips together. The lack of skin on skin was maddening and Castiel was impatiently pressing at Dean’s shoulders to force him to relocate to the bed. Dean eventually got the message and moved them quickly across the floor to his bed before depositing him onto the comforter.

They quickly divested themselves of their clothes not bothering to take their time as the need to be together overwhelmed the desire to take it slow. When they finally had skin to skin contact, Castiel was a whimpering mess. He was bucking helplessly upwards into Dean’s body gripping tight to his broad shoulders as Dean’s tongue explored his mouth.

Suddenly, Dean pulled away and Castiel wasn’t ashamed of the whine that sounded low in his throat. The sound earned a low chuckle from Dean.

“Hands and knees,” Dean demanded and Castiel scrambled to oblige. His hands clawed at the sheets as he flipped himself over shivering at the cool air against his heated skin as he buried his face into the pillows. “So beautiful,” Dean murmured as his hand brushed up Castiel’s smooth thigh. The teen bucked under the touch as Dean’s hand moved to his back tracing his fingers over the lines imprinted on his skin. Goosebumps littered his skin under the movement as his fingers clenched into the bedding in anticipation. Dean’s hand was grounding as he blindly grabbed for the lube and condoms that he’d stashed under his pillow. He flung them behind him and heard Dean snort, “Eager.”

“Understatement,” Castiel growled as he turned his head to the side so Dean would be able to hear him. Yet another of Dean’s chuckles filled the room and Castiel pushed his hips back in indication for Dean to get on with it.

A gasp escaped his lips as he felt Dean’s warm breath against his cheeks before his hands were spreading him apart and an exhale was breathed against his entrance. His breath caught in anticipation as his fingers clenched hard into the bedding beneath him. At the first tentative lick to his puckered entrance, Castiel let out a low groan that filled the room. He turned his head into the pillows as Dean’s hands spread him wide as he pushed his lips towards his skin and started to kiss the muscle.

Castiel was sure he had died and gone to heaven because Dean’s lips and tongue on his most private part was absolute bliss. He couldn’t hold back the pants or moans that escaped his mouth nor stop his hips from pushing back against Dean’s face forcing him deeper. His cock was leaking profusely where it hung flushed and achingly hard between his legs as Dean continued to work him over with nothing but his tongue.

“ _Dean_ ,” he whined, “ _More_.”

There was a hearty chuckle that filled the room before lube slicked fingers were pressing against his spit slick hole. Dean didn’t hesitate as he slipped two fingers inside him pushing them in and out. The sensation had Castiel going wild unable to think coherently as he fucked back against Dean’s fingers trying to get him deeper inside him and find that spot that would have him tingling all over.

“Fuck you’re beautiful Cas,” Dean praised his voice husky and deep with arousal. Castiel had no doubt that if he looked back at Dean now his eyes would be watching where his fingers were disappearing into his body licking his lips with that tongue that was previously inside him.

The teen quickly grew frustrated at Dean’s lack of urgency however and started to rock his hips frantically against Dean’s fingers. “Dean,” he growled, “Can you hurry the fuck up?”

Another one of Dean’s laughs filled the room and it had Castiel’s stomach doing flips at the sound.

“Okay,” he chuckled, “So impatient.”

Not soon enough, Dean was finally lining up with Castiel’s entrance. When Dean began his slow slide, Castiel sighed at the familiar feeling off fullness and let his body go loose against the intrusion.

“Fucking shit,” Dean groaned, “You feel so good baby.” Dean draped himself over the teen’s back as he bottomed out kissing at the back of his neck and biting lightly leaving even more hickies. Luckily Dean knew Castiel’s patience was wearing thin and started to thrust. It was slow at first letting Castiel adjust but soon enough Dean had picked up the pace. The pace turned punishingly brutal quickly and Castiel found himself moaning wantonly into the pillow at the sensation. His body felt like it was on fire with pleasure as Dean ruthlessly pounded into him telling him how good he felt panting the words into his ear.

Dean’s arms wrapped around his waist as he peppered Castiel’s back with kisses continuing his pace. The slap of skin on skin was deafening in the quiet room with their groans and cries of pleasure filling the space.

“Oh God,” Castiel cried as Dean touched that spot inside him causing him to clench down on Dean. “Oh fuck Dean, please,” he begged unsure what he was asking for but he knew he wanted it.

As if he knew exactly what Castiel was pleading for, Dean kept the angle he had found hitting Castiel’s bundle of nerves on every thrust sending him into a writhing, moaning mess unable to do anything but bask in the pleasure that was Dean pounding into him.

“Do you know how hot you are Cas? How fucking beautiful you look split open on my cock. So fucking greedy for it. I fucking love it.”

“Oh fuck Dean, I’m close, please Dean,” Castiel continued to beg.

“Yeah baby I got you,” Dean soothed in his ear before one of his hands slipped down and wrapped around his cock. He stroked hard and fast and Castiel was caught in two minds whether to thrust back on the thick cock inside him or into the hand wrapped around his own. In the end he didn’t have to think too much about it as he had been on edge for so long and Dean swiping his thumb over the head sent Castiel into a spasm crying out his release as he collapsed limp onto the bed.

He was dimly aware of Dean using his body and moaning his name as he came deep inside him before he too collapsed. The teen grunted under the weight but was too content to move from his position to shove Dean off of him.

Eventually, Dean moved away to remove the condom and clean up a little before he pulled the covers back and covered them both. He pulled Castiel towards him and the teen went willingly resting his head against Dean’s strong torso. He smiled as he felt a kiss pressed to the top of his head.

“Love you Cas,” Dean whispered.

“Love you too,” he murmured into Dean’s chest before falling into a deep sleep, happy, safe and warm.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit later than the normal time I upload because I'm now working on Monday mornings. I'll still update on Monday however it will just be a bit later than before

After yet another weekend together, with Dean leaving on Sunday morning, it was difficult to make the transition to a normal student-coach relationship. With their declarations to each other it was unbearable to keep away from one another. All Castiel wanted to do was curl up into Dean’s side and just stay there with his strong arms wrapped around him sharing lazy kisses that he knew would make the rest of the team want to puke.

They fell into a routine as the weeks wore on leading up to Nationals. They would spend their week apart, even though they were both reluctant to do so, and would ring one another in the evening and talk to the early hours of the morning. Sometimes all they would do is just breathe into the phone content with the silence as they both drifted off to sleep. Other times, Castiel would be a little adventurous and would attempt phone sex with Dean. The older man would always chastise Castiel and say it was not the time for that but more often than not, Dean would give in and they would talk each other to pleasure.

Castiel hadn’t thought further on Meg’s idea to send sexy pictures to Dean seeing they were together but with the time apart they had, he did see the benefit of having some pictures of Dean to look at during their sessions. He was sure Dean was thinking the same thing.

However, they had their weekends to look forward to. Each weekend was set aside for the pair to have together. With Crowley no longer annoying Castiel constantly to go out on the weekends, the pair would either stay in and watch movies or listen to music, or sometimes they would head out to the clubs. Castiel had decided he needed to show Dean more of the clubbing scene and would take him out to clubs other than Delta. Now that the prospect of seeing Crowley was nowhere near as daunting – even though Castiel had woken with a rather sore hand the next day that troubled his swimming for nearly a week – Castiel was a lot more free in the clubs. He was no longer looking over his shoulder at the door to see if Crowley and his cronies turned up and whether or not Crowley would ruin their evening because he knew if Crowley ever showed his face to him or Dean again, Dean would gladly punch him again.

Their nights together were a different story. They would get lost in each other’s bodies for hours on end catching up on their time lost due to their week apart. Castiel knew their fucking had slowly dissolved into love making since their declarations and sometimes Dean would take his time making Castiel fall apart under his lips and tongue before finally pulling him back together again by letting him enjoy his release. Castiel of course loved to do exactly the same thing to Dean. He would pin him to the bed and force him to keep his hands attached to the headboard while Castiel explored. If Dean’s hands touched him, he’d stop and move away leaving Dean whining for him to come back. Eventually, Dean figured out to keep his hands still while Castiel learned his body over and over committing it to memory.

On nights like those, it would end with Castiel riding Dean’s cock into oblivion until they were both too exhausted to move. Their bodies would be curled around one another with Castiel’s head tucked under Dean’s chin and the older man’s arms wrapped around him loosely tracing the lines on his back. He loved how Dean would do that as if he too was committing the ink to memory. They would breathe their declarations of love into the other’s skin as they worshipped the body before them and as they cuddled down to sleep, their lips would form the words right into the other’s ear making it the last thing they heard before they succumbed to exhaustion.

When Sunday morning rolled around, it became harder and harder to part from one another. They knew they couldn’t be as touchy feely as they were on the weekends during the school week and slowly, as each week passed and Castiel fell more in love with Dean, it became a reoccurring nightmare. Each Sunday, Dean would leave Castiel’s apartment to spend time with his brother. The teen couldn’t find it in himself to feel jealous as he knew how much Dean valued spending time with him. Dean would always talk highly of his little brother and although he didn’t tell Castiel many details about his brother’s life, he would light up whenever he spoke of him. He just hoped that when Dean talked of Castiel, he looked that way.

Their training sessions went back to normal after the meet with Castiel turning up late and Dean coming up with extravagant ways of punishing him. The hour or so they would spend alone after training for Castiel’s punishment was always thick with sexual tension and sometimes Dean would even jump in the water with the teen and join him in the cruel work-out to show that even though he’s coaching he definitely still can do everything. It made Castiel question _why_ Dean had given up his clear talent to coach high school students. He’d never asked Dean knowing that there was something deep in his past that he wasn’t ready to share; a feeling Castiel knew all too well.

Whenever things in Castiel’s past came up, the topic was usually dropped due to how the teen would always tense up unwilling to relive the memories that came. That night with Crowley and the confrontation had sent him into a whirlwind once had had sobered and Dean had gone home. He had time to reflect over all the feelings that had been rushing through him at the time and how _angry_ he had been when Crowley had spat in his face as he called him a little shit. If he hadn’t have been drunk and with Dean, there was no doubt in his mind he would have instantly recoiled to life with his Uncle and how much pain would be inflicted after Zachariah spat in his face and called him every name under the sun.

It had taken years of therapy to get him to how independent he was now. At first he had sessions once a week to deal with it all but eventually that was whittled down to once a month and finally once every three months. He was dealing and things in his life, such as how easily Dean punched Crowley to the ground or how Dean had such a stronger physique to him, didn’t bother him as much as it would have when he first left his home town.

It was main reason why Castiel had always been the one pinning the other down. Why he never let someone hold him down to the mattress or let them have the upper hand in any circumstance but somehow with Dean, he just let it happen. He trusted the man completely and it left him exposed in ways he didn’t quite feel comfortable with but after that night on the balcony where Dean had held him and told him he loved him too, he began to accept it. Dean had a power over him that wasn’t due to his physical strength but an emotional profound bond that he was sure would stand the test of time. It was that emotional bond that made that day so much harder to bear.

It was a Friday like every other. They had had many meets on their way to Nationals cleaning up the opposition with ease as they had every year previous. The team had been partying up after every meet as usual and Dean sometimes would keep to his word and take them out to a local diner near where the meet was held and treat them all to pie. Later on, after Castiel had spent some time with his teammates, he would excuse himself and meet up with Dean where they would fall into their weekend routine as usual. However one week, that didn’t happen. Dean didn’t turn up to the morning training instead getting a stand-in to do it for him and when Castiel tried calling him to see if they were still going to spend the weekend together, Dean turned him down.

“I’m sorry Cas, you know how much I want to be with you baby but I have something I have to do this weekend.” Dean had said to him over the phone.

Castiel was confused at Dean’s words. “What _things_?” he asked irritated by Dean’s vagueness.

“Just…” Dean hesitated, “things,” he finished lamely. Castiel was angry. Dean was hiding something from him and he wasn’t about to let him know what it was.

“Dean, please just tell me what’s going on,” he pleaded.

“I’ll talk to you later, Cas. I promise,” Dean said trying to calm him down but it wasn’t working. Castiel was pissed. “I love you,” Dean said and Castiel just huffed murmuring under his breath how Dean had a funny way of showing it. He heard Dean wince but he failed to care that he had hurt the other man’s feelings because Dean’s lack of explaining the situation to him had him annoyed and willing to make the other man feel how he felt.

Once Dean had hung up, Castiel had threw his phone in a huff onto the couch and stormed up his stairs to his balcony where he fired up a much needed joint. Dean had made him cut down the amount of weed he smoked but there were times when Dean would actually join him in getting high and it would always lead to sex because afterwards, they would be horny as hell and were barely able to keep their hands off one another. Now though, it was simply to calm the anger that was coursing through his veins. The very first inhale had him calming down and he felt the effects almost immediately but by the end of it, he was still a little angry. He was running ideas through his head as to how he would be able to find out what Dean was up to. Without thinking further, he called up his best friend.

“Meg, I need your help,” he pleaded.

“Of course you do,” Meg replied with her sultry tone. “What’s happened in love central now?”

Castiel rolled his eyes. He had been in constant contact with Meg updating her on his relationship with Dean like he would have if she was still in town. Meg had even told him about her knew relationship with a girl named Anna who was apparently a fiery red head. She didn’t spare the details of their intimacy like Castiel had and he cringed every time Meg would tell him about another one of their adventures in the school janitors closet. He was happy for his best friend and even though it did make his heart ache that they couldn’t actually have their conversations face to face or party together like they used to, having constant contact with her was enough.

“Dean ditched me,” Castiel stated, “He blew out on our plans for the weekend without any explanation.”

Meg tutted before she spoke, “Well that’s rude. Not even an ounce of reason?”

Castiel shook his head as his hand moved to his forehead to press against the skin. “No,” he replied. “He just said that he had something on and that he would call me.”

“Huh,” she replied. “Well, you could always go to his place and demand answers?”

Castiel froze. He had never been to Dean’s house. He didn’t even know where he lived. They had always gone to his apartment due to the fact that Castiel preferred to be there as he knew they would be alone and he liked his own space. Dean had never protested and Castiel had never thought to ask to see Dean’s place.

“I don’t know where he lives,” Castiel sheepishly replied.

“Jesus,” Meg yelled. “You’ve been together how long and you still don’t know where he lives? Christ that’s about the third thing you learn about someone you’re dating after their name and how good they are in the sack.” Castiel cringed at the crudeness but couldn’t really argue as it was true.

“We always just went to my place. I like it here. Dean likes it here,” he reasoned.

Meg huffed before she spoke again, “You’re an idiot you know that? First thing you’re going to do is find out if the GPS on lover boy’s phone is turned on. Then you’re going to go to wherever it says he is and confront him. You got that?”

Castiel nodded and then remembered he actually needed to speak. “Yes,” he croaked.

“Good. If it’s not turned on ring the phone company and ask them to turn it on. I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure out an excuse,” Meg continued and Castiel could hear the smirk in her voice.

They talked for a little while about everything else that was happening in their lives as best friends do before Meg finally told him to stop stalling and to sort out his relationship. Castiel grumpily agreed and ended his conversation with Meg.

Knowing Dean had a smartphone, and knowing Dean’s log in and password, made finding his location a lot easier than he had expected. Ten minutes after finishing his conversation with Meg, he found himself behind the wheel of his Mustang on route to the location he had been given from the GPS. A million theories ran through his head as to what Dean was up to but he couldn’t settle on just one thing. He wasn’t sure what he would find out when he confronted Dean and as he drove on further he didn’t know if he actually wanted to know. Castiel knew he should trust Dean and that eventually he would let him know what he was up to but as Castiel drove on further, his curiosity and hurt won out and he found himself parked up outside the address that the GPS had guided him to. The teen knew he was in exactly the right place as Dean’s car was parked in the driveway.

Whether he was at Dean’s home or someone else’s was yet to be discovered. Castiel sat in his car staring up at the house with wide eyes. He had no idea what he was going to do now that he was there. Beside himself, he sat in his car chewing on his fingernails debating whether he should just get out of the car and confront Dean or not. Somewhere deep inside his mind, he knew he was being an idiot. Dean was his own person he didn’t have to spend every weekend with Castiel but with his non-existent excuse, Castiel was suspicious. Castiel ran his hand through his hair as he decided what to do before running a hand down his face.

One hand on the door handle, he looked up at the house once again. It was a simple one storey home with porch that wrapped around the sides. The left hand side had a door that looked to enter into a kitchen while the other lead to the backyard. There were steps that lead up to the front door with big windows either side. There was a single car garage off to the right and it confused Castiel as to why Dean’s beloved car was not parked in it. It led him to believe that maybe this wasn’t Dean’s house and that he was simply visiting someone. He spared a thought to be thankful for the fact it wasn’t an apartment building because it would be impossible to find where Dean exactly was.

His hands shook as he pulled on the door handle and opened his car door stepping out into the deserted street. He closed his door firmly and leant against the cool metal staring up at the house. The teen’s body racked with nerves as he stood against his car for support. He pulled his phone from his pocket opting for a phone call to Dean before he did anything drastic. Maybe he would answer and explain himself leaving Castiel to just head home and pretend nothing happened.

Shakily, Castiel raised his phone to his ear after he pressed Dean’s name to call his boyfriend. As he listened to it ring, he felt the craving for a joint and cursed himself for leaving his container at home. It would have done wonders to calm his nerves if he could just have one puff. Abruptly, the ringing cut prematurely short and went to Dean’s answer phone. Confused and angry, Castiel pulled his phone down and hung up. Dean had ignored his call.

With the anger driving him, Castiel marched up to the house stomping up the three steps before coming to a stop outside the large wooden door. He raised his hand without hesitation and rang the doorbell. As he waited on the doorstep, he couldn’t help the pit of worry and anxiety that swirled in his gut at what he was doing. He thought himself to be legitimately crazy at the fact that he was stood on some porch of a house that could possibly belong to his boyfriend or to someone else. God, he felt like an overbearing girlfriend who didn’t trust their boyfriend one bit.

The teen was about to make a last ditch effort to run to his car when the door flung open and a heavily pregnant woman was stood before him. She had long brunette hair that hung well past her shoulders with large brown eyes that rivalled his own with intensity.

“Uh, can I help you?” the woman asked eyeing Castiel curiously.

“Lis? Who is it?” The voice that called out was obviously Dean’s and Castiel’s heart sank with realisation. When Dean’s face came into view, Castiel swallowed nervously. Dean looked at him with a furrowed brow. “Cas? What the fuck are you doing here? How the fuck did you even find me?” Dean growled.

Castiel glanced between the two people before him looking at the heavily pregnant belly before him and back to Dean. It made sense now as to why Dean was hiding from him. He had obviously knocked this woman up and was now trying to deal with it without Castiel knowing. Castiel’s face fell with realisation that this was no doubt the end of their relationship. Dean was going to make happy families with the woman and there was no room in that equation for a teenager. The teen looked away blinking back his tears as he let the realisation set in.

He heard Dean’s heavy footsteps heading towards him but before the man could reach out and grab him, Castiel took off. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him jumping down the steps and out to his car before Dean could follow him. Luckily he had left his car unlocked and he quickly slipped inside locking the door behind him in case Dean had followed him and attempted to climb inside. Castiel fumbled with his keys to start the ignition and as he finally got the key into the starter, Dean’s hand was pounding on the window. No longer able to look at the man, Castiel quickly turned the key and placed the car into drive pulling away from the kerb with a screech of tires that would make him wince if he was in the right of mind.

As he sped off down the street he didn’t spare a glance in his review mirror to see Dean running a hand through his hair and kick at the tarmac as he stared after Castiel’s car. He was too caught up in his own heartbreak to see Dean was just as distraught as he was. With tears clouding his vision, Castiel drove home thinking his relationship with Dean was over and as he settled himself into his large bed, he desperately wanted his best friend back and not across the country.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note to self if you give your readers bad feels they tend to comment more :P Thank you all for your comments and kudos. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

They hadn’t talked in three weeks. When Castiel got home that night, he drunk himself into a stupor even worse than that night when Dean had left him on the side of the road because back then, he wasn’t in love with the man. Dean had tried several times to call him to apparently explain himself but Castiel didn’t want to hear it. His phone was vibrating madly on his desk every ten seconds with either a new message or a phone call and the teen was just fed up. He picked up the phone and answered it yelling a, “Leave me the fuck alone,” into the receiver before biffing it across the room into the wall where it shattered into a million pieces. The relief that passed through his body as it finally shut up was the highlight of Castiel’s night. It only went downhill from there.

With his phone unrecognisable, Castiel made his way upstairs with his trusty bottle of vodka in hand to search through his record collection. It took him a while but eventually, he came across the perfect album. He placed it onto the player and as the familiar cords filled the room, he took the opportunity to head out onto the balcony for a joint. It would ease his troubled mind and let him forget for even just a little while.

With an unhealthy buzz from his mixture of weed and alcohol, Castiel made his way back inside and turned the music up so loud that he couldn’t even hear himself think. All he knew in that moment was the lyrics to the music and where the guitar solos went in. He was screaming the lyrics along with the singer and swaying dangerously around the room as the record played on. He’d probably have complaints in the morning but he couldn’t care less as the music took him to a place that was only rivalled by swimming.

Eventually, Castiel passed out on the floor upstairs. It had been a while since Castiel had been drunk enough to actually pass out without making it back to bed. His music was still blaring and the empty vodka bottle rolled away from his comatose state as he slept on the floor. He didn’t awaken again until hours later when there was a pounding on the door.

With bleary eyes Castiel groggily got to his feet. It was a feat in itself that he could even hear the thudding on his door over the music that was still blaring through his apartment. However with the way his head was pounding threatening to explode, he couldn’t take it much longer. As fast as his body could operate, he moved to the stereo and turned it down before switching it off completely. He looked around the room groaning as he realised he had pulled out just about half of his collection in his search for an album last night and now they were all strewn across the floor. As he saw the empty bottle of vodka on the floor, he groaned even louder the headache that would more than likely plague the rest of the weekend rearing its head and making him wince.

When the pounding on the door started up again, Castiel finally made his way to the stairs. He gripped the handrail tightly as his legs were shaking after his night of drinking and he didn’t trust himself to not fall down the stairs. When he was halfway down, the hammering stopped.

“Cas, please baby, let me in.” It was Dean. Castiel froze where he was on the stairs his knuckles going bone white at how tight he was gripping the handrail. “Just let me explain myself,” Dean pleaded. He sounded as wrecked as Castiel felt and Castiel, almost, almost gave in and ran to the door to tell Dean he didn’t care and it didn’t matter they can just forget it ever happened but he didn’t. Instead, Castiel stood exactly where he was not moving holding his breath to stop from making a sound out of fear that Dean would know he was there. “Cas, I know you’re in there. It’s pretty obvious by the way the music stopped. Pretty sure you have some pretty pissed off neighbours now.” When Dean wasn’t graced with a reply, Castiel heard an audible sigh even through the door. “Please, Castiel, we need to talk, face to face. Can you please just let me in?” Dean continued to beg.

As quietly as he could, Castiel crept down the stairs trying to not make a sound that would alert Dean that he was there. He looked through the peep hole to see Dean stood there with his forearm resting against the door, his forehead leaning against it looking down at his shoes. He looked as bad as he sounded and Castiel’s heart ached but there was no way he was opening the door. Instead, Castiel turned his back to the panel and slid down it to settle on the cool wooden floor.

“Please, Cas,” he heard Dean whisper as if the man knew Castiel was on the other side of the door.   
“Let me in,” he pleaded.

As he listened to how distraught Dean was, Castiel couldn’t stop the tears that started to fall. He wiped them away hastily knowing it was stupid that he was crying over him. Sure Dean had told him he loved him but could that have been just a ploy to get Castiel to continue to see him? His mind was a mess and his hangover was not helping. Silently, Castiel just wished Dean to leave. To not look back and just walk out of his life like everyone else had. It would save them both the heartache and even though he knew it would hurt like hell for a while, it would be worth it in the long run. Before things got way too far and they were both left in pieces. Dean had a life with whoever that woman was and their unborn child; a life that would never fit Castiel. It would be best for everyone involved if they just stopped seeing each other all together.

Castiel got his wish not long later with Dean’s feet shuffling at the door before he kicked the panel. It sent Castiel forward with a jolt and he thudded back against the door again which was thankfully drowned out by Dean’s yelling.

“Fuck you then Cas! All I wanted to do was explain myself and you’re not even letting me do that. If you’d just let fucking in the door we could just sort out this whole misunderstanding but you’re being a fucking asshole! So fuck you Cas!” Dean roared as he kicked the door again. “You know what you are Cas? You’re a scared little boy that’s so fucking paranoid because of all the fucking weed he smokes that he can’t see a good thing before him. So you know what? I’m done with this. You can hide behind your door all you like but you know deep inside that you fucked up not me!” For measure, Dean kicked the door for a third time before Castiel heard the tell-tale of Dean’s boots heading away from his door.

Tears started rolling down his cheeks once again as he planted his face into his hands. Sobs racked his body as Dean’s words played over and over in his head before his hangover symptoms took over and he wanted to throw up. He ran with a hand over his mouth to the bathroom where he slumped to the floor and promptly threw up bile. The teen shivered at the horrid taste as he swallowed before he dry heaved again.

Once showered, Castiel collapsed into bed and slept the weekend away. He didn’t leave his apartment once all weekend and other than to use the toilet and eat, he didn’t leave his bed either. His rest was fruitless at best as his mind was just running through his entire relationship with Dean to see if there were any signs that he was going to end up leaving him. His memories came up short and in the end, he left it to the fact that they were just not meant to be together. It hurt, a lot to realise it but he was better off just forgetting Dean and moving on.

The problem was he still had swimming. With nationals coming up in a few months, there was no way he could just skip training. He knew it would hurt like mad to see Dean and Dean would no doubt try and talk to him but knew if he just kept with his friends, Dean wouldn’t approach him. In a change of tactics, instead of turning up late to training, he turned up on time with Gabriel and Balthazar in tow and would get straight into what Dean had written on the board. Castiel would avoid his gaze and never looked at him unless he absolutely had to and when he was in the water, he completely ignored Dean and apparently Dean was content to let him do it. He didn’t stop the teen once to correct him or to give advice instead he let the swimmer complete the training.

Of course, Castiel was done long before the others but instead of hanging around to do extra laps, Castiel would climb out gather his stuff and leave not giving Dean a chance to stop him. Knowing that his coach couldn’t leave pool side with students in the water meant that Castiel could escape easily, shower and disappear out of the pool area and away from Dean.

His friends had picked up on his behaviour but over the years, Castiel had become pretty good at putting on a mask. Ever since he lived with his uncle, putting on a mask was how he got through every day he had to live with him and the aftermath. If he let people see how he was feeling, he knew they would have questions he couldn’t and wouldn’t answer. Instead, he put on his mask and let people see the cocky, promiscuous version of himself. Meg was the only one who had seen through that until of course Dean came along.

The older man had slowly been tearing away at his protective shell and unravelling who the teen really was. At first, Castiel hadn’t liked it but as his relationship with Dean grew, he let the inevitable happen and let Dean see the real him. Even his friends had commented on how different he seemed. Now, that had all changed. His mask was back and he was distancing himself from them. In time, he might open up again but for now, it was best that he just lived his life.

Apparently, his friends had other ideas.

When Castiel turned up to training on Friday morning, the place was deserted. There wasn’t a soul in sight as he got changed into his gear. He figured maybe the others had got there early and were all waiting for him out on pool side but with a glance around the room he noticed that no one’s gear was in their lockers. With a sigh, Castiel gathered up his gear and headed out to pool side. His teammates were up to something, he just didn’t know what.

Once he rounded the corner out of the changing rooms right on time for training, he figured it out.

Stood on pool side looking at his watch was Dean and no one else. At the sound of Castiel walking, Dean looked up and the pair locked eyes for a few moments before Castiel rolled his eyes and looked away.

The only sound as Castiel stripped into his swim gear was that of the water overflowing into the grates before Dean broke it.

“Where is everyone?” he asked. “They’re late.”

Castiel shrugged. “Thanks for that Captain obvious. Can I start swimming now?” he asked with hard eyes not letting Dean see the pain that he was feeling in his gut every second he took another step away from the man. Without waiting for permission, Castiel dove into the water forgetting everything but his swimming. He swam until he couldn’t swim anymore and when he climbed out of the pool his muscles protested the entire time. None of his teammates had showed up and he suspected Balthazar had a hand in it but seeing as Castiel still hadn’t replaced his phone, he had no way of contacting his friend to ask for an explanation.

Once he was out of the pool, Castiel moved over to his gear bag passing Dean on his way who was sat in a chair staring at his hands. The teen didn’t let his gaze linger and continued to his bag to collect his towel and started to dry off. When he heard movement behind him, he tensed but didn’t turn around.

“Cas,” Dean whispered the sound making Castiel jump as he hadn’t realised Dean was so close to him. “We need to talk, please.” He sounded so defeated. Even worse than he had the previous time he had begged the teen at his apartment. Castiel stiffened as he turned his towel wrapped around his waist as he stared Dean in the eye. The man’s green eyes were bloodshot and there were bags underneath them as if he hadn’t slept in days. In all fairness, he probably hadn’t just like Castiel hadn’t. “Can we…” he trailed off, “Can we go to my office and talk?”

Castiel crossed his arms over his chest to fight the cool breeze. He shivered slightly as his flesh broke out in goosebumps and rubbed his hands down his arms in attempt to warm himself. If Castiel went to Dean’s office, there was no doubt in his mind that he would do something he would regret later. He would more than likely have sex with Dean and they wouldn’t even talk. Instead of letting that happen, Castiel simply shook his head. He watched Dean deflate before him letting the man suffer for a moment before letting up.

“We can talk here,” he stated simply. Dean nodded his features lighting up slightly at Castiel’s words. “Let me get dressed and I’ll come back.” Without waiting for Dean, Castiel turned and gathered his bag before heading into the changing rooms. He promptly showered and dressed nerves surging through his body as to what was going to happen when he exited the room and finally faced Dean. There was a bit of hope in him that they could work it out and try and fix their relationship but he remembered the brunette petting her swollen belly with a smile as Dean entered the room that dream was cut short and Castiel’s anger reared its head.

Dressed, Castiel shouldered his bag and headed back out to pool side where Dean was once again seated where he always sat while Castiel had swam. He stood when he heard Castiel enter and smiled at him warmly. Castiel fought his features trying to school his emotions and keep his mask firmly in place before the man who had been the one to strip it away. Slowly, Castiel made his way to the benches that he usually put his gear on and took a seat placing his bag next to him so that Dean wouldn’t sit next to him. Dean pulled his chair over slightly and sat before him. They sat awkwardly not looking at each other for some time and Castiel was getting ready to leave. He didn’t want to just sit here he wanted answers but at the same time he didn’t want to know. He wanted his relationship with Dean to be over and done with and something that he would look back on as a dumb mistake that he really shouldn’t have pursued.

“How did you find me?” Dean asked breaking the silence.

Castiel scoffed as his face hardened into anger. “Seriously? That’s what you want to talk about?” he spat.

Dean shook his head, “I guess it doesn’t really matter but you could have just waited until I explained it to you instead of just turning up on her doorstep and then driving off.”

“And you could have just told me what was happening from the start,” Castiel retorted, “Instead of being a dick and lying to me.”

“I didn’t lie to you!” Dean yelled. Castiel glared at him but it didn’t stop Dean’s surge of anger. “Not once have I lied to you Cas! I told you I wanted to give this a go and I do. I told you I had something to do on Friday and that I would explain it to you later and I would have but you didn’t trust me. You had to go be a dick and somehow _stalk me_ and turn up on Lisa’s doorstep.”

Castiel pointedly looked away his arms crossed over his chest as he spoke. “I didn’t _stalk_ you,” he hissed, “I just looked up the gps on your phone.”

“Of course you did,” Dean sighed. They fell into silence again and Castiel turned his head to look at Dean who had one hand pressed to his forehead with his elbow rested on his knee as he hunched over. “Babe,” Dean began to which Castiel glared again. He had lost the right to call him that. “Cas,” he tried again, “What you saw isn’t what you think.”

Castiel’s face broke out into a sarcastic smile, “And you actually think I’m going to believe that?” he scoffed.

“Well it’s true,” Dean defended. “Lisa is an old friend. We used to date – before I came back here and met you – and well, she cheated on me and I left her. She got back in town the other day and she wanted to meet up. So I took the day off and went to meet her to catch up. We met at her house because well,” Dean made a gesture with his hands over his stomach to mime Lisa’s stomach, “and we were just talking.”

Castiel nodded as Dean spoke feeling guilty about how he had over-reacted but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that Dean wasn’t telling him the whole truth.

“There’s a chance…” Dean spoke low and so quiet that Castiel struggled to hear, “There’s a chance the baby is mine.” Before Castiel could say anything in response, Dean continued. “She’s getting a paternity test done and that’s why she wanted to see me. So we can find out the truth.”

Castiel’s mind was running wild. Dean could potentially be a father with this woman who he wasn’t sleeping with. It still didn’t help the fact that he thought Dean would leave him for this woman. There was no doubt in his mind that Dean would want what was best for his child and being with Lisa would give the child the best possible upbringing.

“Can you say something please?” Dean asked as he reached out to take the teen’s hand. Castiel let him do it as he was still in shock and the touch was comforting after too long without having the man’s hands on him.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Castiel croaked. “It’s a lot to process.”

Dean nodded as his thumb brushed over the back of his hand. “I know,” he breathed as he leaned closer minimising the gap between them. “I just want you to know that I love you and this doesn’t change anything between us.”

Castiel pulled away as if he’d been slapped. “Are you being serious right now?” he growled. “This changes everything. You could be a fucking father Dean. You’re going to need to be in that baby’s life from day one and do everything in your power to give that child the father it deserves if it’s yours. Nowhere in that equation is time for you and me. I want to go to college Dean. I want a life for myself and I don’t know whether I will stay in this state to do that. If you’re a father, there’s no way you can come with me.”

The teen searched Dean’s face for a reaction but all he saw was heartbreak. Castiel reached out and took Dean’s hand in his feeling guilty.

“I still love you Dean. I still want to be with you. I just don’t see how it’s possible with this hanging over our relationship.” It hurt to admit but it was true.

“Lis has sent of the test and everything. I’ll know by the end of the day whether or not I’m the father.” A tear trailed down Dean’s cheek as he spoke and Castiel reached up with his free hand to wipe it away. “Can I see you after school?” Castiel bit on his lip not knowing whether it was a good idea. It would be best to have a clean break but with Dean being his coach, it was never going to happen. “Please Cas. I just need you right now.” Dean sounded so small that it broke Castiel’s heart even further to see him so distraught. It was obvious now that he was absolutely scared shitless that he was going to be a father.

“Okay,” he whispered. “I’ll meet you after school.”

Dean smiled then it didn’t quite meet his eyes but there was a small amount of light that entered his features as Castiel agreed to meet with him.

“Thanks baby,” Dean replied as he leant forward and kissed his forehead. Castiel sighed as he leant into the touch before moving so that Dean could press their lips together. “I’m sorry for the shit I said the other day. I didn’t mean it,” Dean murmured across his lips. “I was angry and it just sort of came out.”

Castiel’s fingers threaded in Dean’s hair as a wave of relief washed over him. “It’s okay, Dean,” he replied before pressing their lips together once again. He knew he should probably make Dean suffer for longer or at least wait until they knew the results for the paternity test but it had been too long since he could kiss or touch Dean. Instead of pulling away like his brain was trying to get him to do, Castiel snuggled closer his ass barely on the seat as he deepened the kiss.

When steps echoed in the hall, they quickly sprang apart looking towards the entrance to see who it was.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Balthazar grinned. “It’s good to see you two sorted out your crap then.”

Castiel glared over at the British teen as Dean spoke, “So it’s you who made the rest of the team skip training?”

“Maybe,” he replied. “You can’t argue with results though. If it stops you two ignoring each other and staring wistfully at the other when the other isn’t looking then I’ll welcome any punishment that comes my way. Honestly it was getting quite pathetic.” When nothing but angry glares were sent his way, Balthazar continued, “Well, it’s good to you’ve kissed and made up. I’ll see you later then.” With that, the Brit clapped his hands as he turned on his heel and left.

Satisfied he was gone, Castiel stood to his feet and shouldered his bag once again. Dean stood too and crowded his personal space cupping his cheek.

“I’ll see you later yeah?” he asked as his thumb brushed over his cheekbone. His eyes looked so much lighter than they had when Castiel had first walked in but there was still worry hidden deep within them. Castiel didn’t blame him.

“Of course,” the teen replied before Dean leant down and pecked him on the lips once more.

Castiel smiled for the first time in three weeks as he walked to class.


	20. Chapter 20

All through class Castiel found it hard to concentrate. His mind was in chaos worrying about Dean and what would no doubt be going through his mind. Dean had always come across as the type of person that would want a family one day. With the way that he would talk about his little brother Sam and how he had looked after him making sure he had everything he needed and never went without. It was obvious how much Dean admired his little brother just by the way his face would light up with the mere mention of his name. What Castiel also knew was that Dean was in no way ready for children. Dean wanted a career in coaching but if he had to support a child then he wouldn’t be able to support the child and the child’s mother as well as himself on his current wage. He would more than likely have to quit his job and find some desk job that was in no way him, just to ensure his family would get everything they wanted. 

As Castiel sat in class he knew his boyfriend would be pacing his office unable to keep himself still. Castiel wanted to go to him and just be with him until he heard the news just to give Dean his support even if they hadn’t seen each other in a while. There would be time to catch up later and they no doubt will if Dean got the news he wanted. If he didn’t, well Castiel wasn’t thinking about that. Every time he did, his stomach churned and he felt like throwing up. Without Dean, his life had been a wreck. Dean had come into his life and turned it around. Because of Dean, Castiel was now more sociable with people that had a good influence on his life and were actual friends to him and weren’t seeing him as some druggie teenager. The teenager was also doing better in school and turning up to his classes on time because he had a reason to be there. He had Dean to look forward to at the end of the day and on the weekends. It made the loneliness that had formed deep inside him disappear and he didn’t want it to return.

By the time the lunch period arrived, Castiel couldn’t wait any longer. He ditched Gabriel and Balthazar without a word and headed in the direction of Dean’s office. Castiel wanted to be there for Dean even if when they heard the news it meant Castiel was no longer with him, he still wanted to be there now.

The teenager made his way quickly to the office bypassing other students who tried to greet him giving them the cold shoulder. They called out to him calling him an asshole but he didn’t care. Dean was the only thing on his mind the rest of the students could piss off. As soon as he arrived, his nerves were running rampant through his body making him feel queasy. Instead of running off however, Castiel knocked on Dean’s door. It took a moment, but the door was open and Dean appeared with a forced smile. Once he realised who was at the door, that resolve crashed and his face fell before he gathered Castiel in his arms. The door was quickly closed behind them as they embraced inside the confines of Dean’s office. They didn’t talk only clung to one another taking in the comfort that came with being held by the other. If Dean had a couch in his office, Castiel knew they would probably be lying on it but as all he had was his desk and a couple of chairs, they remained standing until finally Dean pulled back a bit to look him in the eyes.

“How you coping?” Castiel whispered unwilling to break the serenity of the moment.

Dean pulled away from him and Castiel missed the touch instantly but it wasn’t about him and he had to suck it up and be there for Dean. Castiel watched as Dean ran his hand through his hair something that he had obviously done a lot during the day given how it was in disarray. It was a stupid question but Dean didn’t give it the answer it deserved and instead went to take a seat in his chair.

“I can’t do this Cas,” he confessed his voice unbelievably broken as he buried his face in hands. “I’m not ready to be a Dad.”

Castiel crossed the room crouching in front of Dean and ran his fingers through his hair in a comforting touch. He could hear Dean’s ragged breathing even through his hands. Castiel leant his head forward resting it on Dean’s shushing him and trying to calm him down.

“We don’t know if you will be yet,” Castiel reasoned, “and even if you are, Dean you would be an amazing father. Anyone with eyes could see that.”

Dean looked up then with soft eyes, “You really think so?” he breathed.

Castiel smiled at his boyfriend. “Of course,” he replied.

Dean nodded but Castiel could tell the doubt was still there. They needed to get out of his office and go somewhere where they could be them and not have to worry about anything and just get Dean’s mind off the fact that his future hung on a phone call.

“You want to get out of here?” he asked to which Dean looked at him sceptically.

“You have class,” he replied.

Castiel grinned, “I have no qualms on ditching.”

Dean rolled his eyes at him, “Of course you don’t. Cas, you need to go to class.”

“No,” he retorted, “I need to be with you. You need me right now. Classwork will be there when I get back. You are what is important right now.”

Dean ran a hand over his face as he side-eyed the teenager. “Fine,” he resided, “But if you get caught don’t be angry if I tell you I told you so.”

Castiel smirked at him, “You’re acting as if this would be the first time I’ve ditched.”

“You’re a little shit you know that?” Dean replied but he stood and gathered his keys and phone from his desk before he shut down his computer.

“Yeah, but you love it,” he replied before he slapped Dean on the ass. “I’ll meet you by your car in a few minutes I’ll just go grab my stuff from my locker and organise Balthazar to drop my car home.”

Dean gave him a nod as Castiel turned and left.

Sneaking out was a second nature to Castiel and without interruption Castiel was stood next to Dean’s car waiting for him to come out. It had taken a little convincing to get Balthazar to drop his car home but eventually he twisted his arm by promising to hand over the number of a French girl Castiel had met in his promiscuous days that Balthazar had always wanted to know. When he saw Dean exit the pool building he looked just as worried as he had earlier but his demeanour was picking up. Castiel hoped it was because of him.

As Dean got closer, he smiled at Castiel and the teenager fought the urge to step forward and collect him in a hug again. It was risky enough that they were going to be getting into Dean’s car together but he figured it would be okay seeing they were out the back and the carpark was obscured from the majority of the school. However, they didn’t hang around for long. They quickly piled into Dean’s Impala before heading out of the school grounds.

They didn’t speak as Dean drove content to just drive wherever the road took them. Somewhere between the school and the road out of town, their hands met on the bench seat and their fingers entwined. The silence was welcomed and as Castiel watched Dean drive, he saw the tension ease from his body. His shoulders slacked slightly and there was a small smile easing onto his lips as they headed out of town driving on with no destination in mind.

Soon enough Dean broke their hold and reached to turn on his tape deck filling the car with the sound of Led Zeppelin. As soon as it was on, Dean’s hand locked with Castiel’s again. He turned and stared at him with a small smile on his face and Castiel could see the visible effect on Dean just by looking him in the eye and seeing the light starting to return. Castiel smiled back and Dean turned to look at the road once again Castiel doing the same.

How long they drove, Castiel wasn’t sure of but he knew that it was long enough for them to both forget the reason they had left school for the day and why they were driving in the first place. As they relaxed even further, Castiel unbuckled his belt and slid across the bench seat pressing himself into Dean’s side. Dean didn’t hesitate in wrapping an arm around the teenager and pulling him closer. A kiss was pressed into his hair and Castiel felt himself relax further as he hummed along to Zeppelin. It wasn’t until Dean’s phone rang that they stopped their drive and pulled over to the side of the road.

Dean looked at his phone screen before looking at Castiel with a worried look in his eyes. Castiel leant over and gave Dean a light kiss on the lips before he breathed, “Whatever happens I’m here as long as you need me.” It hurt to say but he needed to say it and he was glad he had because Dean gave him a look that made it worth it.

With a deep breath, Dean answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear. His eyes fluttered closed as he exhaled before speaking, “Hey Lis.”

Castiel could hear Lisa on the other end faintly and even though he felt a little awkward about listening in the conversation he was sure that Dean turned up the volume so Castiel would be able to hear better.

“Hey Dean, I’m not going to beat around the bush and create small talk. I have the results. Are you ready to hear them?” Lisa’s voice was steady but Castiel could hear that she was just as scared as Dean was. It was obviously a situation Lisa didn’t want to be in herself and was just as scared, if not more, than Dean.

After another shuddering breath, Dean nodded and answered, “Yeah. Just tell me.” Dean’s grip on Castiel’s hand tightened painfully to the point where Castiel though he was about to break his hand but he didn’t dare try to pull away. Castiel’s heart was racing in his chest as he waited for Lisa to reply and he was sure that Dean’s was no doubt beating just as fast.

There was the unmistakable sound of an envelope being opened and a letter being pulled out. Dean’s eyes found his own and they were locked as Dean held his breath waiting for Lisa to answer.

“It says that you’re not the father,” Lisa spoke and Dean slowly exhaled as he let it sink in. Castiel froze where he was unsure how to react. Of course he was happy that Dean wasn’t in a situation that may have ruined his career as a swim coach but he knew that Dean would have made a great father. It was as Castiel was caught up in his own thoughts that he heard Lisa break down and start crying.

“Lis,” Dean softly spoke, “I’ll be there for you if you need me okay? Just ‘cause I’m not the Dad doesn’t mean I won’t help you out if you need me to. Just let me know what I can do and I’ll help you out okay?”

“Yeah,” Lisa sniffed. “Thank you, Dean. I uhm… I just need some time to myself right now. I’ll uhm talk to you later.”

“Yeah of course, I’ll see you later Lis,” Dean replied before he ended the call. Dean stared down at the phone in his hand as Castiel watched on unsure what to do. The grip Dean held on his hand released and Castiel took the chance to flex his fingers trying to not let it show how it had hurt. Dean was too caught up in his thoughts to notice but when he finally did look at Castiel, he had a smile on his face. It held a hint of joy but there was also disappointment in his eyes and Castiel couldn’t stop himself from sliding back across the seat and hugging Dean. Dean hugged him back burying his face in Castiel’s neck.

Castiel’s fingers ran through Dean’s hair as he had earlier trying to soothe him and calm him down as he spoke, “It’s over now Dean. You don’t have to worry anymore.” He felt Dean nod against him and Castiel just pulled him in tighter.

Neither knew when it happened but suddenly their lips were together in a tender loving kiss that soon grew heated as their tongues wound together. Dean’s hands were pushing through Castiel’s hair before cradling his face and pulling him closer while Castiel clenched his fingers in Dean’s jacket.

“Missed you baby,” Dean breathed against his lips before he surged forward once again pushing his tongue into Castiel’s mouth.

“Missed you too,” the teen replied when given a moment as Dean attacked his neck while trying to remove Castiel’s hoodie.

His tee-shirt came with it and soon Dean was pushing him to lie down on the seat as his mouth worked over his bare torso. Castiel sighed as he felt the familiar feeling of Dean’s mouth touching his skin before letting out a small yelp as Dean bit down on his nipple. Dean smirked up at him before pulling the bud between his teeth and working it over with tongue. Castiel watched through half-lidded eyes as Dean moved on to the other nipple working it over as he had the other until Castiel was crying out Dean’s name.

“Love it when you say my name,” Dean purred as he kissed down Castiel’s stomach to the waistband of his jeans. Quick work was made of his jeans until they were pushed down to his thighs along with his boxers. Castiel didn’t have time to react before Dean was swallowing him down to the base.

“Jesus fuck!” Castiel cried out as his hands flew to Dean’s hair tugging on the strands. His head fell back with a thump against the door as Dean’s tongue laved over his cock leaving him a whimpering mess. “Oh God Dean,” he cried out as Dean pulled back to suck at the head before diving back down again. “Dean I’m gonna-“ was all he got out before Dean’s hand enclosed around the base holding his orgasm at bay.

“Oh no you don’t,” Dean grinned as he pulled Castiel back up to kiss him.

Castiel moved to straddle Dean’s lap who had sat behind the wheel again and quickly sent his hands south to pull at the zipper of Dean’s jeans. He didn’t even try to push his jeans down just reached in and pulled Dean free of his boxers and wrapped his hand around him. Dean sighed at the touch letting his head fall back against the head rest as Castiel worked him over.

Before long, Dean came to his senses once again and trailed his hands down Castiel’s back to his ass where he pressed his dry digits against his hole before pulling back again. The fingers were presented to Castiel’s mouth who knew exactly what to do and sucked them into his mouth running his tongue over them.

Dean pulled his fingers free and didn’t hesitate before pushing them to Castiel’s entrance slowly pushing inside. Castiel’s breath hitched as Dean’s fingers settled deep inside him before he started to thrust them in and out. The teen’s hands clenched into Dean’s shoulders as he adjusted to the feeling his arousal taking over the slight burn as Dean decided to attack his neck once again.

“God you have no idea how much I missed this,” Dean panted into his neck, “Love you so much Cas.”

“I love you too,” Castiel squeaked before Dean struck his prostate causing him to arch his back and let out a loud groan. “Dean I’m ready,” he panted as his vision cleared.

His boyfriend didn’t say a word as he pulled his fingers free before pulling Castiel closer so he could line up with his entrance. The teen wrapped his arms around Dean’s head as he slowly sunk down letting out a deep breath as he settled into Dean’s lap.

“Fuck Dean,” Castiel whispered as he let himself adjust to the intrusion before he slowly started to rock his hips. He would never get used to how big Dean felt inside him stretching him wide but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t turn him on. His movements became bolder before he was lifting himself up and dropping back into Dean’s lap all while Dean groaned into his neck.

Soon enough, he was riding Dean’s cock with his head thrown back panting Dean’s name over and over as Dean’s hands traced the tattoo on his back holding him close. He should feel exposed in the position he was in on the side of the road stripped naked riding a man’s cock but all he felt was the pleasure of having Dean inside him once again holding him in his arms and telling him how beautiful he was. The only difference there was to their other times was the fact that Dean was running his mouth off with dirty talk. He just breathed over and over how much he loved him telling him how much he missed him showing him with his hands and mouth just how much he loved him.

“I’m close,” Castiel moaned as Dean’s hand wrapped around him stroking him in a tight fist. “I want you to come in me,” he requested as he locked eyes with Dean. “Fill me baby.”

With a silent cry Dean thrust his hips up into Castiel before he was coming inside the teen. Castiel rode him through it even with his body so riled up with pleasure before he too was coming all over Dean’s fist and tee shirt. Castiel collapsed onto Dean burying his face into Dean’s neck and pressing small kisses there between breaths.

Once he had his wits about him, he pushed up and off of Dean pulling his pants up as he settled back into his seat. Dean’s eyes followed the movement and when Castiel noticed him watching he grinned lazily at the other man as he sat up and slid back over to him. They kissed without the energy they had earlier content to just explore the other’s mouth.

“You want to go to my place?” Castiel asked when they parted.

Dean nodded, “Yeah let’s do that.”

Castiel smiled as he settled into Dean’s side tangling their fingers together once again and resting them in his lap while Dean started the Impala and turned back towards town.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the end people. There will be twenty-four chapters so only three more after this one :)

By the time they made it back to Castiel’s apartment, he was uncomfortable in his clothes and was in desperate need for a shower. Instead of telling Dean what he was up to, as soon as he was through the door he stripped as he made his way to the bathroom Dean following in his wake. He turned the shower on and waited for it to heat up and spun on his heel to watch Dean quickly strip out of his clothes. Once he was naked, Castiel reached out for him and pulled him into the shower.

The control Castiel had was quickly lost as Dean pushed him against the tiles before dropping to his knees behind him. A gasp escaped his lips as he felt Dean’s tongue against his entrance sucking at his sensitive rim before thrusting inside. By the time Dean pulled away, the teen had already come against the wet tiles and was hard again as Dean stood behind him and guided him back onto his cock.

It was slow but forceful as they moved together under the spray before Dean pushed Castiel back against the tiles and thrust deep inside him rocking on the balls of his feet to grind against the teen’s prostate. When Dean finally came, it was relief for Castiel as he wrapped a hand around himself and stroked himself to orgasm.

They cleaned themselves off before wrapping themselves up in sweatpants and hoodies and snuggling onto the couch. Dean laid down first pulling Castiel onto him and letting the teen rest his head against his chest as they searched through Netflix for movies to watch. They spent the rest of the night curled up together until they were too tired to start another movie. The pair relocated to Castiel’s bed where they curled together under the covers and fell asleep in one another’s embrace.

When Castiel woke in the morning, Dean was already awake and, by the smell that greeted Castiel’s nostrils, cooking. The teen wiped the sleep from his eyes before stretching with a yawn and pushing the covers off him. Castiel smiled as he made his way over to where Dean was stood over the stove frying bacon. Dean was startled as Castiel wrapped his arms around his torso but soon settled into the touch. His lover greeted him with a kiss once he had removed the pan from the stove one that was warm and loving and everything he had missed in their weeks apart.

“Good morning Cas,” Dean greeted with a smile as he pulled away.

“Good morning Dean,” the teen replied smiling brightly.

“I made breakfast,” Dean gestured to the plates on the bench already loaded with eggs and toast.

Castiel nodded, “I can see that. I think I’d rather have you though if that’s okay?” Castiel asked before he stepped towards Dean once again claiming his lips.

“Mmm I guess I’ll allow it,” Dean smirked against his lips as his hands gripped Castiel’s ass and pulled him close kneading the muscle. In turn, Castiel’s arms wrapped around Dean’s neck as they continued to kiss before Dean pulled away again. He tried to follow Dean’s mouth but Dean only laughed and pushed him back slightly. “Go eat your breakfast before it gets cold,” he chuckled before patting Castiel on the ass using a hand on his shoulder to guide him to his seat and sat him down.

Dean plonked his plate in front of him and kissed the top of his head before heading towards the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” Castiel asked as he gathered a mouthful of food on his fork.

“Shower,” Dean smiled, “Eat, I’ll be back soon.” Castiel pouted pathetically after him that he wasn’t asked to join him but as he swallowed the food on his fork, he lost his ability to be annoyed as the food was delicious. He had no idea how Dean made bacon and eggs taste so good but he wanted him to make them for him every day.

By the time he was done, Dean had emerged from the bathroom dressed in towel. He watched with wide eyes as Dean moved over to where he was still seated and leant down to kiss him on the lips. The teen melted into the kiss trying helplessly to pull Dean’s towel away from him. The older man darted away taking his towel with him.

“ _Dean_ ,” Castiel whined which earned a chuckle from the other man.

“Cas, you know I’d love to just spend all day here and I know normally Saturday is our day together but I have to go see Sam today.”

Castiel’s face fell as he realised that Dean was bailing on him. Dean noticed straight away and tried to soothe him by walking back over to him and cradled his face in his hands.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he soothed with his thumb stroking his cheek, “After yesterday I need to go see Sam. He knew the whole situation and he’s probably going to be pissed I haven’t called him yet.”

Castiel nodded as best he could with Dean’s hands holding his face. “Okay, yeah I get it. It’s just,” his hands came up to hold onto Dean’s wrists as he spoke, “I wanted to spend some time with you.”

Dean though for a moment his face contorting as he thought something over before he looked Castiel in the eye once again and spoke, “Well you could come with if you want?”

A smile broke across Castiel’s face as he stood up to be closer to Dean, “You really mean that?”

Dean nodded, “Of course. I think it’s time you two meet anyway.”

Castiel quickly closed the gap and kissed his boyfriend passionately before pulling back. “I’ll go shower then.” He said giddily before racing across the room to the bathroom. To say he was surprised Dean would let me him meet his brother would be an understatement but he wouldn’t give up the opportunity. He didn’t know how much Sam knew about Castiel but he knew that Sam was important to Dean and in consequence meant a lot to him too. Meeting the most important person in Dean’s life was a big step for them and he just hoped Sam would like him.

Twenty minutes later, Castiel was searching through his closet for something to wear. Everything he found seemed to be either too high schoolish or two proper and not enough casual.

“Babe, stop being an idiot. My brother won’t care what you’re wearing,” Dean groaned from where he was sat on the bed watching Castiel sort through his clothes.

“Dean, this is your brother, your family. I need to impress him,” Castiel snapped back as he inspected a pair of jeans. “Do you think these are okay?” he asked as he held them up to Dean.

Dean looked them over. “Yes,” he replied to which Castiel smiled, “As were the other four pairs you asked about.”

Castiel glared over at his boyfriend but decided to let it slide and instead slipped into his jeans before searching for a shirt. He found a plain white tee and a red plaid shirt to wear over the top that had a hood attached. Once dressed, he turned to Dean and spread his arms out in a ‘what do you think gesture’.

“Looking good. Can we go now?” he asked to which Castiel rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. “Good let’s go I’ll text Sam on the way to the car.”

As they rode in Dean’s impala towards where they would meet Sam, Castiel’s nerves started to get the best of him. He was fidgeting in his seat and biting on his nails as they grew closer and closer to their destination. He had no idea how Sam would react to his brother dating a high schooler or if he even knew that his brother was dating a high schooler. For all Castiel knew Dean may have not told Sam anything about him.

“Stop worrying,” Dean’s voice startled him out of his thoughts making his jump slightly before he turned his head to look at him. “Sam will love you. You’re both mega nerds.”

“I’m not a nerd!” Castiel protested.

“Cas, you can get an A without even trying. You’re a nerd. Just embrace the fact and you’ll be better for it.” Castiel scowled over at Dean before he turned his head away crossing his arms over his chest. “Hey,” Dean said his voice sweet as a hand reached over and patted his thigh causing Castiel to turn his head back to his lover, “It’s one of the things I love about you.” Castiel could see the sincerity in Dean’s eyes and found it difficult to remain angry at him. He uncrossed his arms and took Dean’s hand in his own squeezing lightly.

Not long after, Dean was pulling to the side of the road outside The Roadhouse. Confused, he looked to Dean who shrugged.

“We always meet here for lunch,” he said as if it was the most casual thing in the world. Instead of asking more questions, Castiel shrugged and climbed out of the Impala and waited on the sidewalk for Dean to join him.

A moment later, Dean’s hand was slipped inside his and dragging him inside. When they were through the doors, Castiel’s nerves reared their head again and he was clutching Dean’s hand tighter looking around the room for anyone that could be Dean’s brother. Dean seemed to not notice Castiel’s unease and instead made his way over to an empty booth waving at Jo in passing. She waved back and gave a friendly smile to Castiel who returned in uneasily before they sat in the booth side by side facing towards the door.

“Babe, stop worrying,” Dean chastised before he brought Castiel into a side hug and kissed his temple. “Seriously you have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Castiel nodded and was thankful that Dean didn’t move away instead he kept his arm around him until someone entered the bar and he waved them over. Castiel looked the man up and down and looked to Dean in confusion because there was no way that this person could be Dean’s brother.

First of all the man was massive. He thought Dean was tall but the man walking over to them had at least another three feet on top of Dean. He had long brown hair that almost met his shoulders with hazel eyes that shone through. Dean stood from the booth and pulled the massive figure into a hug before he stepped back and looked at Castiel who stood awkwardly beside Dean.

“Sammy, this is my boyfriend Cas. Cas, this is Sammy,” Dean introduced.

“Sam,” Sam greeted with a hand outstretched to which Castiel hastily took and shook Dean’s brother’s hand.

“Castiel, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Castiel replied with a nervous smile.

They seated themselves into the booth with Castiel blocked in by Dean sliding beside him once again. Castiel awkwardly played the napkin on the table as he waited for someone to start a conversation. He knew Dean would want to talk to his brother about everything that happened with Lisa yesterday but he wasn’t sure if he would wait until they had eaten first or just come out and say it. It turned out it was the latter.

“Lisa called,” Dean began after he had gestured to Jo to bring over three beers, “Turns out I’m not going to be a father.”

Castiel watched Sam’s reaction and the tension that had been in his shoulders as soon as Dean had started talking eased away in relief before he searched Dean’s features. “That is what you wanted right?” Sam asked tentatively with a glance towards Castiel before he returned his attention back to Dean. Castiel did the same glancing at his boyfriend who looked suddenly tense at the question.

“Yeah it is,” he sighed. “I mean I’m definitely _not_ ready to be a father.”

Sam nodded in reaction. “Okay then. How did Lisa take the news? Is she going to talk to the other guy?”

Dean shrugged. “I dunno she was pretty upset that it wasn’t me and after she told me she said she needed some time.”

“Well that’s understandable,” Sam replied.

“Yeah. I told her if she needed anything to not hesitate to call me. I mean even though the kid’s not mine I’m not going to be an asshole and just leave her dealing with it on her own.” Castiel smiled at Dean at how his boyfriend was so caring to those he loved. Even though Lisa had broken him by cheating on him, they obviously still cared for one another even if it wasn’t the way that he had before. Dean caught him smiling and returned one himself as his arm wrapped around his shoulders once again.

Jo bought their drinks over and placed one in front of each of them before disappearing towards the kitchen with their food orders. Castiel reached for his glass and took a hefty sip at his beer before placing it back onto the table as Sam asked him a question.

“So Cas, what are you studying? Dean’s been pretty secretive about you,” he said with a head nod at Dean.

Confused, Castiel looked towards Dean for answers as to why Sam thought he was in college. Dean had ducked his head in response refusing to look at either of them in the eye. Instead Castiel turned back to Sam and said the truth.

“Uh, I’m still in high school,” he said trying to keep his tone as casual as possible. It didn’t work apparently because Sam’s eyes bulged as he turned to Dean before hardening his gaze.

“High school?!” he hissed, “Jesus Dean.” Castiel watched as Sam pushed a hand through his hair in anger apparently a family trait. Sam’s gaze returned to Castiel as he spoke again. “How old are you?”

“Eighteen. I graduate at the end of the school year,” he replied feeling uncomfortable under Sam’s gaze.

“Well at least you’re legal,” Sam muttered under his breath.

“Sam,” Castiel spoke up, “It’s not that big of a deal. It’s not as if Dean is my teacher or anything. He’s my coach. He has no effect on my grades.”

“He’s your coach!?” Sam shouted gaining the attention of a few other patrons. “Jesus Christ Dean. Do you know how much trouble you could get into? Does Bobby know?” Castiel turned his attention to Dean who had finally decided to look at his brother. He slowly shook his head in response which earned a sigh from Sam. “I need some air. I’ll be back.”

“Well that went well,” Dean announced once Sam had disappeared through the front door. Castiel crossed his arms on the table and put his head in his arms with a thump. Dean’s hand rubbed his back in soothing circles as he tried to calm his worries. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around. I think you just caught him blindsided.”

Castiel lifted his head just enough so he could turn and glare at his boyfriend. “A heads up that you hadn’t informed him of my age and the fact that you’re my coach would have been nice,” he growled.

Dean’s hands rose in defence in front of him. “Hey, hey, calm down. I know I should have told you I hadn’t really told him much but I didn’t think it really mattered.” Dean placed his hand once again on Castiel’s back who leant his forehead against his arms once again. “It’s fine. Look I’ll go talk to him okay?”

Castiel raised his head to look disapprovingly at Dean but Dean just flashed one of his smiles and Castiel felt his worry disappear. Dean leant down and kissed him on the forehead with a murmur that he’d be back soon and followed his brother out the front door.

Once Dean was gone, Castiel sat back up in the booth a downed his beer in one. He eyed Dean’s glass wearily before shrugging and reaching to down his one too. With a glance at the door as he placed the empty vessel back onto the table, he knew Dean wouldn’t mind especially seeing he had thrown him under a bus with not letting him know Sam didn’t know _anything_ about their relationship.

By the time the brother’s came back, Jo had given an apologetic smile at Castiel and placed two more beers on the table which he promptly downed without a second thought. Dean looked at the empty beer glasses and back to Castiel with a disappointing look. Castiel hardened his eyes as him to tell him it was his own fault but Dean’s look softened to understanding as he slid back into the booth with Sam doing the same on the opposite side. Castiel eyed the younger brother warily unsure how Sam would react.

“I’m sorry,” Sam resigned, “I shouldn’t have reacted that way. It was rude of me and I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright Sam,” Castiel replied with a smile.

“Are we okay?” Sam asked with a hopeful smile.

“Of course,” Castiel nodded, “Consider it forgotten.”

“Great.” Sam grinned and Castiel can see that the pushing hands through the hair trait wasn’t the only thing that was a Winchester trait because Sam’s smile was just as beautiful as Dean’s. “So what _are_ you going to study?” Sam eventually asked as a waitress came over with their meals.

“I’m hoping to get a swimming scholarship and will probably study literature. I’m not sure yet,” he replied.

The two of them started talking of universities and colleges soon after that Castiel would be hoping to attend and would start applying for scholarships too. He knew nationals were the place that he would have to show off his ability as that was where most of the scouts would choose their swimmers. Since he had joined the team he had been told by a variety of people that the scouts were very interested in him and when he reached his senior year there was no doubt he would receive a scholarship. It was just to which school he was worried about. He hoped he was good enough to attend one of the best and judging by the amount of interest in him, he was sure he was but there was always doubt that hung around.

Throughout their meal, the three talked about Sam’s life at school studying to be a lawyer. He too had been through the scholarship process and had given some tips to Castiel on how to make his application the best it could be. Dean had joked that they wouldn’t take him because of his poor attendance and tardiness but Sam had reassured that all they really cared about was your ability in the field they’re taking you for and if you can maintain a good grade to which both Castiel was confident he could.

It was clear by speaking with Sam that he cared just as much about Dean as Dean did for him. They were closer than normal siblings were which Castiel put down to the fact they had been put through extenuating circumstances with the loss of both their parents at an early age. If Castiel had a sibling he hoped that they would be as close as these two were.

Dean had been right in thinking that the two of them would get along. Most of the time it was just the two of them talking with Castiel forgetting his boyfriend was even there as they went into in-depth conversations about classic literature. Of course Dean’s arm around his shoulders reminded him of his presence as well as his input every so often.

By the time they were moving to leave, Castiel believed himself to have made a new friend and more than likely got the approval of Dean’s little brother which would mean more to Dean than anyone else. Castiel watched as the brother’s embraced once again on the sidewalk with Sam whispering something into Dean’s ear low enough that the teen didn’t catch what he was saying. By the way Dean blushed and nodded, it was obvious that it was about Castiel who just smiled and held out a hand to Sam. Sam surprised him by pushing it away and pulling him into a hug. The teen hugged back awkwardly but smiled all the same when Sam pulled away.

“I’ll see you both next Sunday then?” Sam said as he stepped back.

“Yeah,” Dean replied, “See you then Sammy.”

With a wave, Sam disappeared into his own car and honked his horn as he took off down the street.

“Sunday?” Castiel questioned as they climbed into the car. “Does that mean Sam approves of me?”

Dean just looked at him with soft eyes and a smile that match. “Yeah babe,” he replied before leant over and kissed him breathless, “he approves.”

Castiel couldn’t stop smiling the whole way home.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am determined to finish this story this week so if all goes to plan the next chapter will be posted on Wednesday and the final chapter on Friday :) Hope you enjoy the chapter

Their routine went back to normal in the weeks that followed. The only thing that changed was the fact that on Sunday’s when Dean would normally leave and Castiel would spend the day like a love-sick puppy, they would now spend it together with Sam. The two became quick friends just like Dean had said they would and if Castiel was being honest, he was sure Dean was a little jealous of the fact. Whenever Sam’s back was turned, Dean would make a point of groping him or kissing him senseless just to remind him who he belonged to, not that he needed reminding.

In retaliation, Castiel would just spend more time talking with Sam making Dean’s blood boil that much more. On one occasion Castiel’s teasing lead to Dean falling to his knees in a diner bathroom and sucking him down until he was coming down his throat with a hand over his mouth to silent himself. When they had arrived back at their table Sam had sent them a face which Dean had dubbed ‘Sam’s bitch face’ to which Castiel was too blissed out to soothe. Dean had merely winked had his brother with a cheeky grin as he wrapped the teen in a one armed hug in their shared booth.

They would spend their whole Sunday doing something that Sam wanted to do. Dean would never complain once the entire time even as they both dragged him through an art history museum. He had loved it the one time Sam had chosen to go to the Zoo for the day. They had spent the time walking around all the exhibits pointing and laughing and various things the animals were doing. It was enjoyable for all three of them and it was nice to spend time with Dean outside of his apartment. He knew it was a little risky being in a public place where anyone from school could see them but he failed to care when Dean slipped his hand into his and dragged him towards the monkey enclosure.

As always the transition to school was tough. With Nationals coming up, Castiel was on time to all his classes and to trainings to ensure there was no reason for his teachers or Dean to remove him from the team. He knew that seeing he had acted so badly after his fight with Dean that he had put his place in jeopardy but he was making up for that now by being on time to absolutely everything. It was killing his body clock but he knew that he would adjust soon enough and in the long run it would be worth it.

Slowly, he started to repair his friendship once again with Balthazar and Gabriel. He knew he had been an ass by ignoring them over the few weeks that he and Dean were apart but he was trying to make up for it by hanging out with them between classes and after school. They had all gone out for dinner one evening and Castiel had made an effort by paying for them all. Gabriel was easy to win over as if you buy the man enough food and candy, he’ll love anyone but Balthazar was a little harder. He knew no amount of apologies would make up for the fact that he had shoved them all the cold shoulder when all they wanted to do was help. So instead of grovelling or paying for anything he wanted, he let him take his own time to make his decision.

It took a couple of weeks but eventually Balthazar came around and it was as if nothing had happened between them. When Castiel walked into class one morning on time and greeted them both with a smile before sitting down Balthazar had returned the greeting then continued on about a woman he had met on Saturday night. Previously, Balthazar would halt his conversation with Gabriel when Castiel came in and it was basically a two way conversation with a third person sitting and listening so it was a welcome change for Castiel to actually hear what was happening in his friend’s life for once.

Training sessions were more brutal than usual. Dean had stepped up on the training regime and they were practicing a lot harder than they had any previous years for which Castiel was grateful for. He still didn’t know Dean’s past in swimming even though they had basically talked about everything else it was still a dark area that they hadn’t explored yet. He knew eventually that he would ask about it but with everything going on it had slipped his mind to ask but as they wrapped up training one afternoon, Castiel decided it was better late than never.

With everyone gone to get changed, Castiel helped Dean tidy up the gear. Dean smiled at him as they put the gear in the cage brushing their fingers together unnecessarily but they both had shy grins from the touch. As Castiel went over to gather his towel to wrap around his still damp body, he gestured to Dean to follow him. Dean came willingly even though he had confusion on his face. The teen grabbed his towel from the bench and wrapped it around himself and then turned back towards Dean.

“I was wondering if you would make those awesome burgers you keep bragging about but never do tonight?”

Dean looked at him with a disapproving look. “Cas,” he spoke getting as close as he could without making it look like it wasn’t a conversation between coach and swimmer, “it’s a school night. You know I can’t.”

“Please,” Castiel begged. “We can be careful. You can leave early enough so you can go home and change before you have to be here.”

Dean snorted a laugh. “Cas, we both know I’m not going to get up early enough to be able to go home and get to work on time.”

Castiel nodded in agreement looking to the ground dejected. He really did just want to spend some time with Dean as even though they spent their weekends together, it was just not enough anymore. A hand brushed gently under his chin lifting it up so he was looking Dean in the eyes.

“I guess I could just go home after work and pick up some stuff before going to yours. I can stop at the store on the way and get the ingredients I need to.”

A grin spread across his face as he heard what Dean said. After a quick glance around the room, Castiel pulled Dean by the cord of his whistle so they were hidden behind a column where he proceeded to kiss Dean like he’d been starved for months. He pushed right up close to the other man not caring that he was probably getting the other man wet from his damp skin as he pushed his tongue into Dean’s mouth relishing in the familiar taste of Dean.

When Dean started to push back and try to put his tongue into Castiel’s mouth, the teen pulled away from him with a smirk.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Castiel said with a wink as he moved away from a gobsmacked Dean and gathered his gear. He didn’t look at him as he sauntered off in the direction of the changing room content to give Dean the cold shoulder to tie him over until they met up in the evening.

When school was over, Castiel was quick to leave gathering his gear from his locker and heading out to his car. He waved goodbye to Gabriel and Balthazar when he saw them in the parking lot offering to drop Balthazar home but he waved him off saying he was catching a ride with Gabriel.

Once home, all Castiel could do was run around his apartment cleaning it up. He didn’t know why but suddenly he was giddy with excitement that Dean was spending the night with him on a school night and he wanted to make sure that his place was as spotless as he could make it. When he looked at the time when he was done however, he saw that it was still early and knew Dean wouldn’t make it over for a while yet. With a sigh, he sat down at his desk pulling out his homework in hope that he would be able to distract himself enough.

It worked a charm and sooner rather than later, a knocking at Castiel’s door startled him out of his reprieve. He quickly tidied his desk putting away his books and pencils before he scurried over to the door opening it for Dean. His boyfriend greeted him with a smile as he stepped inside kissing him soundly on the lips as he closed the door behind him.

“Hope you’re hungry, the patties I make are quite big,” Dean said as he moved to the kitchen quickly making himself at home by putting the groceries he had purchased on the table and rummaging through the cupboards for everything he would require.

“Starving,” Castiel replied as he sidled up behind his boyfriend pressing as close as he could against his back. He pressed butterfly kisses to the exposed skin on his neck as his hands roamed over his broad chest that was only covered by a thin black undershirt. Soon enough, Dean was turning around pulling Castiel close by his belt loops and kissing him deeply his tongue roaming his mouth.

“Mmm,” Dean hummed as he pulled back. “If you keep at it we’re never going to have dinner,” he joked.

Castiel snickered as he slapped Dean’s shoulder lightly. “Don’t kid like that. I actually am hungry.”

“Then get out of the kitchen!” Dean yelled cheekily as he turned the younger man by his shoulders and marched him over to the couch. “Sit here,” Dean said as he pushed on Castiel’s shoulders forcing him to sit before he grabbed the remote and handed it to him after turning the television on. “Watch TV and then when I’m done, I’ll bring you the best burger you’ve ever tasted.”

“Fine,” Castiel resigned as he rolled his eyes though he had to force back a grin because of Dean’s antics to make sure he made the best burgers possible. He would have to convince him to come over on a school night more often if this was the way he was going to act. As Dean turned to head back over to the kitchen, Castiel pulled him back with a hand on his wrist. “Just one more kiss?” Castiel asked with a grin. It was Dean’s turn to roll his eyes but he willingly leant over and kissed Castiel lightly. Castiel watched as he turned on his heel and headed back to the kitchen admiring his ass in his tight jeans the whole way. “How long you going to be?” He called out to him.

“Half an hour tops,” Dean replied as he got to work.

True to his word, half an hour later Castiel had been summoned to the kitchen to seat at the table. It was rare for them to eat at the table for a meal other than breakfast. Most of the time they would curl up on the couch together and watch a movie while they ate but Dean had laid everything out for them including a beer each to wash down their burger with. Before he seated, he pulled Dean close and kissed him thoroughly exploring his mouth with his tongue.

“Thanks,” Castiel whispered across his lips before he sat down in his seat. He waited for Dean to take his own seat opposite him before he smiled warmly. Dean watched him tentatively as he picked up the burger and took a healthy bite out of it. Castiel groaned as the juices hit his taste buds as it was unreal how good it was. His eyes flittered closed as he savoured the taste before he swallowed his mouthful. “Jesus Christ,” Castiel breathed as he looked over at Dean who was smirking, “You weren’t lying.”

Dean grinned widely before he picked up his own burger and started to eat it. They devoured their burgers in record time with pornographic moans that he had no doubt that were making Dean uncomfortable in his seat but it was difficult to hold back with how good the burger tasted. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.

When they had finished, Castiel gathered their plates and took them over to the sink to start to wash up. Dean came and stood behind him about to start to help washing up but Castiel promptly pushed him away.

“No, go sit on the couch I will clean up,” he ordered with a hand on his hip and an arm stretched out pointing to the living area. Dean stared at him for a moment before he simply surrendered and trudged off in the direction of the couch. Castiel watched him as he flicked on the television before he resumed the washing up.

As he worked his way through the dishes he thought of ways to bring up the conversation he wanted to have with Dean. There were still some things that he didn’t know about his boyfriend and of course vice versa but he really knew that he could trust Dean now. He hoped that Dean would feel the same and would be able to tell Castiel anything he wanted but of course there was only one way to find out.

With the dishes neatly stacked to dry, Castiel grabbed two more beers from the fridge before he made his way over to Dean who was still sat on the couch watching some documentary on haunted mansions. He pressed himself to Dean’s side while Dean wrapped an arm around his shoulders as he took the beer Castiel offered him. They sat in silence for a while watching the show with half interest before Castiel finally decided to break the silence.

“Dean?” He asked tentatively. When all he got was a hum from Dean that he was apparently listening, Castiel continued, “Why did you stop competitive swimming?” Dean tensed beside him and Castiel sighed thinking Dean was never going to tell him but instead of sitting back and just telling Dean to forget about it, he turned and looked Dean in the eye. “I just feel like we can tell each other anything and you’ve never told me why you stopped.”

Dean blinked at him before he leant over to put his empty beer bottle on the side table before he ran his free hand over his face. Castiel waited patiently for Dean to tell him the answer feeling a little excited that he was finally finding out. He kept his expression neutral to keep Dean calm and not seem like he was too eager to know but he knew it was a big step in their relationship to find out more about Dean’s past.

There was silence for a bit the only sound the voices on the television that neither of them were paying attention to. Castiel was content to let Dean tell him in his own time now that he had finally asked so instead of pushing him to speak, Castiel stayed silent pressed into Dean’s side.

“When Mom died,” Dean began his voice a little scratchy, “I was the one that had to hold the family together. Dad was off the rails so it was up to me to make sure Sam was safe and happy. That he always had something to eat and clothes on his back. It was hard to live like that with Dad never around and when he was he’d be dragging us off to some other hick town.” Castiel found Dean’s hand on his shoulder and squeezed it as he looked at Dean’s face which was screwed into frustration and heartache at the memory.

“I was the one that wasn’t allowed a childhood. I had to sacrifice everything for Sam, which I’m not angry about don’t get me wrong, I would do _anything_ for that kid. He’s so unbelievably smart and strong willed it was hard not to want to give him everything he wanted. But a guy has to have his own time, you know? Whatever school we were at I’d join the swim team in their trainings if I could. I’d go in the early hours of the morning and swim before heading back to Sam to make sure he was up and ready for school. Thing was we never stuck around long enough for me to compete in anything. We always left before a meet but I didn’t care about that. It was an escape for me. Somewhere where I didn’t have the responsibility of being Sam’s guardian or have to worry about when my Dad was going to come back and drag us to another town. I could just _be me_.”

Castiel smiled as he moved his free hand to brush through Dean’s hair because he completely understood how swimming could completely remove you from the world and all that mattered was how fast you were going or how far you were going to swim. He was sad to hear that Dean had never competed because he knew for a fact Dean would have been absolutely breath-taking as he swam for his school, state, or maybe even country. There was no doubt in Castiel’s mind that Dean had what it took to get to the big leagues. He just didn’t have the time.

“So why did you give it up? You could have swam at the school you were at after you stayed with Bobby and Ellen,” Castiel murmured softly as he continued his soothing touches through Dean’s hair.

Dean turned and smiled at him a sad smile that had Castiel’s heart aching to see.

“When Dad dropped us off at Ellen and Bobby’s I just couldn’t let them pay for everything. I wanted to make it by off my own hard work and not be a complete free-loader. Sam resented me for it and tried to talk me out of it so many times but I quit school and went to work at Bobby’s friend, Rufus’, auto-mechanic yard. I’d always been good with my hands and working with cars just became a second nature. At night, at Sam’s insistence, I would work on my GED. That was the deal we came up with I’d work during the day and study in the evenings. There was no time left for swimming.”

Castiel could hear the disappointment in Dean’s voice at the admission and couldn’t help but lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “You did what you had to. You gave up your own dreams for Sam and that is so admirable Dean. I just wish that I had someone around like you when my parents died. Sam was so unbelievably lucky to have you and look at him now.” Castiel smiled as Dean nodded and his eyes lit up at the mention of how Sam had turned out. Castiel kissed him again on the cheek brushing his nose over the same spot he kissed. Dean turned into the touch brushing their noses together before he tilted his head and pressed their lips together lightly. It wasn’t rushed or heated just slow and sweet suiting the moment completely.

They parted and Castiel resumed his petting of Dean’s hair as he snuggled into Dean’s side once again.

“Eventually, Bobby said that he was looking to retire from the swim team and he asked me to replace him. I was enjoying my work at the yard but swimming had always been in the back of my mind. I missed my chance to compete as a swimmer and make it to the big time but maybe I could get there as a couch. Sam doesn’t need me like he used to and this was a way to be around something that I love.”

Castiel hummed in agreement playing idly with the buttons on Dean’s shirt. “Do you think maybe you’d move on and coach at a college or something?” he asked.

Dean seemed to be deliberating it for a moment before he spoke again. “I guess maybe if I was offered. It depends on where I guess. If it’s going to be across the country from you then I might have to give it a pass.” Castiel froze at that lifting himself up to look at Dean in the eyes.

“You really mean that? You’d pass up a coaching job for me?” he asked unable to comprehend what he’d just heard.

“Well yeah, Cas. I love you. There’s no way I’d be able to handle being across the country from you. I want to be where you are and if that means giving up my life here and moving to whatever school offers you the scholarship you deserve then so be it, I’ll do it.” Dean’s eyes were locked on his own as he spoke and Castiel could see the definitive look in them that meant that Dean was being completely serious. He hated himself for it but his eyes welled up and he had to bury his face in Dean’s shirt to hide it.

“I’ve never had anyone who cared that much about me before,” he confessed with a sniff.

“Well now you do,” Dean soothed as his hand carded through Castiel’s hair while his fingers squeezed tighter in their still joined hands.

“Thank you Dean,” Castiel whispered as he lifted his head ashamed that the tears that were in his eyes fell down his cheeks. Dean was quick to wipe them away with a smile before leaning forward and claiming his lips once again.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter after this one guys. It's looking to be a very long chapter (which I haven't quite finished yet) but I will strive to get it up for Friday :)

Nationals were only two weeks away and Castiel found himself completely immersed in his swimming. Every waking moment he was in the water working on his technique and preparing for his races. When he wasn’t in the water, he was either in the gym or mentally preparing himself. Being completely engrossed in his preparation, it left little time for him and Dean to be together but they both fully understood. Unlike during the lead-up to a meet, Castiel didn’t get distracted by the fact that he didn’t have any time dedicated to Dean. He was so focussed that the time apart didn’t eat away at him and even though it did hurt that he didn’t get to be with him all the time, Nationals came first.

Castiel had approached Dean after training a few weeks out from Nationals and told him that he was going to focus on his swimming and would more than likely be too busy to hang out with him. Dean had looked around to check the coast was clear before pulling him close and holding him against his chest. He had kissed the top of his head and told him that he completely understood and that if he needed anything he knew to call him. The teen smiled into his boyfriend’s chest loving how Dean understood him so easily.

With so little time to himself, when Castiel did finally get to bed in the evenings, he couldn’t even keep his eyes open long enough to call Dean and talk to him about their days. Sometimes, if he could stay awake long enough, he would send Dean a message saying goodnight and that he loved him but he would never be able to stay awake long enough for the reply. It was nice to wake up in the morning to the reply message and sometimes, if he had slept in, a good morning message as well. It made him smile that Dean was still thinking about him even though Castiel was putting their relationship on hold. He would definitely make it up to him when Nationals were over but first he had to keep his mind on the events ahead and hope he could make a name for himself and show colleges that he was worth the investment.

Sundays were Castiel’s rest day. He made the effort to meet up with Dean and his brother every week so that Dean wouldn’t get annoyed at him for not resting. After all he was still his coach and could always remove him from the squad if he didn’t look after himself. Castiel had protested at first saying that he was more than capable of knowing when to stop but Dean had given him a glare that rivalled all other glares he had ever received and knew when to back down. Dean had talked him through it letting him know if he didn’t rest he wouldn’t make it to Nationals simply because his body would give out on him. It made sense and Castiel made the effort to ease up on his hours in the gym and the pool to do the last of his assignments and school work that he needed to finish up for the end of the year along with his final exams. It was a stressful time but he knew it would be worth it in the end.

On one of the Sunday’s that he met up with Dean and Sam, they had taken him to lunch with Bobby and Ellen. At first, Castiel was completely beside himself with worry as to how they would react to Dean dating a high schooler on top of the fact that Dean was his coach. When they had arrived, it was a little awkward as Bobby knew of Castiel’s promiscuous past and his lack of respect for authority but as the afternoon wore on, Bobby eventually saw the change in Castiel and was happy with their relationship. Ellen treated Castiel like a son as soon as he stepped through the door bringing him into a hug and giving him a kiss on the cheek. The meal was delicious and in the end Castiel didn’t want to leave.

After finals week, with everything handed in and no more school work left to do, Castiel was in the pool every minute Dean would let him. He wasn’t the only one either. His teammates joined him and they made a habit of meeting at the pool in the early hours to train and time each other as well as have practice races. Dean eventually realised what they were all up to and joined them in their trainings but would order them out of the pool after an extended period of time just so they could have a cool down period before they ruin themselves. Castiel knew Dean was an excellent coach just by how much he cared for them all letting them know the little things that were wrong and that even though some of their times were borderline qualifying times, that they were sure to do better at Nationals given the shear intensity that surrounded the event.

Once Dean had kicked them out, Castiel would usually hang out with the rest of his teammates heading off to a diner for some food before he would head home again to have some downtime. On the odd occasion when he wasn’t completely exhausted, he’d call up Dean and invite him over. They would usually share a meal before curling up together on the couch and watch a movie together. After their first night together on a school night and how it had worked successfully with no one suspecting a thing, Dean was less hesitant about spending the night and would follow Castiel to bed. Some nights they would get lost in each other’s body searching the pleasure that came from being infinitely close together after so long being apart and others they would just hold one another kissing lazily until they fell asleep. It never failed to put Castiel in a good mood and to give him an extra bounce in his step the following day.

When Dean called a meeting the week before they flew out for the event, Castiel was bouncing with excitement. The details of what to expect when they arrived at the venue as well as what the order or events would be had been around for a while so there were no surprises when Dean handed out all the paperwork. Having it his hand however, just made it all the more real and he couldn’t wait until he was finally at the arena.

A week later, the team had gathered at the airport for their flight. Family and friends were accompanying most of the team to show their support but of course there was no one there but Dean to be there for Castiel. He didn’t mind it one bit however because Dean was all he needed. The lack of other people to talk to gave him an excuse to talk with Dean and not have it look suspicious which he was grateful for. They even managed to score seats next to each other on the flight. Castiel had laughed when he learnt that Dean was actually afraid of flying but once he saw how bad it actually was, he turned into a caring lover and discretely made sure Dean was okay the entire flight by having a hand constantly touching him sometimes in inappropriate ways to distract his boyfriend. It seemed to work somewhat but he was sure it was more the three glasses of whiskey he had than anything else.

Once they arrived at the hotel they would be staying at for the next week, the team dispersed to their rooms. Castiel was lucky to be sharing a room with Balthazar who he knew would let him do his own thing without annoying him. Gabriel was one of his best friends but he would never want to share a room with the prankster. Not knowing when he was going to strike was a hard thing to handle and was something Castiel didn’t want to deal with heading into the most important event of his young life. Screw up at Nationals and he could kiss his future in swimming goodbye.

With it only being Sunday and the competition not starting until Wednesday, the team took the opportunity to explore the city they were in. The team, along with the parents that had made the trip, all went out for dinner on the Sunday before they went out and explored the sights that the city had to offer. There was a bird sanctuary nearby to where they were staying that they went and saw as well as a huge lake. They walked slowly talking with each other as they went around the lake with Castiel staying with Gabriel and Balthazar the majority of the time. He kept one eye on Dean who was talking with the parents and laughing with them. He could feel himself falling more and more in love with Dean as he watched him interact with the parents and seeing how when they asked questions about their kid that he would answer with such sincerity showing just how much he cared about the successfulness of the team as well as each individual athlete.

It was late by the time they made it back to the hotel and once in the comfort of his room, Castiel knew he wasn’t going to be staying there very long. With a wink at Balthazar, Castiel grabbed his phone and left the room. He sent a message to Dean to let him know he was on his way to his room to which there was an answer to say that he had left the door unlocked.

As soon as he was there, he wasted no time in opening the door and locking it behind him. He saw Dean on the bed reading a magazine and made his way over to him before pouncing on him, straddling his hips and removing the magazine from his hands. Their lips connected a moment later and Castiel found himself eagerly responding to Dean’s urgent kiss.

“I’m nervous,” Castiel admitted when he pulled away. Dean’s hand that had wrapped in his hair during the kiss came down to stroke his cheek.

“You’re going to do great, baby,” Dean soothed as his thumb moved over his cheekbone. “You’ll blow the competitors out the water and you’ll get so many scholarship opportunities you won’t know what to do.”

Castiel grinned down at Dean before leaning down and pressing their lips together again. Their hips started to grind together as it grew more heated until they were nothing more than a couple of horny men rubbing against each other. Dean’s hands and slipped under his shirt and were tracing the ink on his back as he so often did when they were together.

Soon enough, Castiel was shirtless and so was Dean as they continued to slowly grind together as they kissed. Dean’s hands were on his shoulders holding him close as Castiel braced himself with a hand either side of Dean’s head.

With a gasp, Castiel pulled away. “Please tell me you’ve got,“ he made a vague gesture with his hands that didn’t really say anything but Dean completely understood anyway.

“Yeah ‘course I do,” Dean grinned as he gently pushed Castiel up so he would have room to lean over to the cabinet beside his bed. Castiel watched impatiently as Dean retrieved lube and placed it onto the bed beside them.

Once Dean was settled on his back again, they quickly resumed their make-out session. Dean’s hands were roaming over his back before they dipped down to the hem of his jeans. His pants were loose enough for once that Dean’s hands could slip under the waistband and knead at his bare skin. Dean chuckled against his lips when he found Castiel wasn’t wearing underwear murmuring ‘presumptuous’ under his breath. It was never presumptuous for him to go commando whenever he was going to meet up with Dean especially when he had a room to himself and no one would bother them until morning.

Their remaining clothes were removed haphazardly across the room in quick succession before slick fingers pressed at Castiel’s entrance. He groaned at the touch as he bucked his hips backwards onto Dean’s fingers. He would never grow tired of the feeling of having Dean’s thick fingers inside him. They were always so tentative yet sure in their movements and it annoyed Castiel that Dean could wind him so tightly to the point that he was reduced to begging for Dean to just fuck him already. Every time they were together, Castiel would always be thrusting back on Dean’s digits trying to get them deeper and to spur Dean on but it never worked and Castiel would be left writhing and panting on Dean’s fingers completely strung out and in dire need of release.

That night was no different. Dean had worked him open slowly and methodically with delicate movements. Every so often Dean would strike his prostate just to keep him on edge and it was completely maddening. A string of pleads fell from Castiel’s lips as he pushed down on Dean’s hand while he words were pressed into the skin of Dean’s neck.

“ _Dean please_ ,” he begged over and over until finally, Dean’s fingers slipped free and Castiel was able to position himself to sink down on Dean’s cock. Dean helped his movement with steady hands to his hips stabilizing his shaking body.

When seated, he let out a content sigh as a smile spread across his lips. He lay down on Dean’s chest as Dean wrapped his arms around him once again slowly rocking their bodies together. Dean was the one doing all the work with Castiel content to just kiss at Dean’s neck as he slowly gyrated his hips against Dean’s. Eventually, Castiel was flipped to his back with Dean hovering over him their movements still slow and deep which caused gasps to fall from Castiel’s lips as to how good it felt.

“You’re fucking gorgeous, Cas. You know that? I’m so fucking lucky to have you,” Dean breathed as he continued to thrust deep into Castiel. “I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you too,” Castiel replied breathlessly without a thought. It came so naturally now to just say it without hesitation. When Dean said it to him he answered it straight back. It always sent shivers up his spine when Dean told him he loved him because he could always see it deep in his eyes that he completely meant it. It was always said with so much sincerity that it could make him a complete emotional mess.

Dean buried his face into Castiel’s neck his arms still secure around the teen as Castiel’s were pressed to his shoulders gripping on tight. His cock was stuck between their bodies as they moved gaining friction from the sweat and pre-cum that had gathered. Dean’s hips picked up in intensity fucking hard into Castiel’s body and it had the teen almost crying out loudly but he stifled them into Dean’s shoulder worried of parents and teammates nearby.

With a few more precise, brutal thrusts, they came together groaning the other’s name.

Breathless and sated, they stayed clinging to one another content where they were pressed together. Dean was pressing kisses into his sweaty skin and Castiel couldn’t find it in him to tell him to stop even though his tongue tickled when he lapped at his neck.

Eventually, they rolled to their side with Dean slipping out and getting up from the bed to find a cloth. He appeared a moment later with a damp towel in hand and proceeded to wipe down Castiel’s body leaving gentle kisses in his wake. Castiel smiled at the treatment stroking Dean’s hair lazily before tugging on it to pull his face up to his own so he could kiss him.

“Thanks for taking my mind off swimming for a while,” Castiel smiled as he stroked Dean’s cheek.

“Anything for you, Cas,” Dean grinned before he pressed light kisses to Castiel’s lips which turned into a deep tongue probing kiss. “You’re going to do great. You’ve worked so hard for this and I know you’re going to just blow everyone out of the water. You have nothing to worry about.”

Castiel smiled what he hoped was convincing enough to Dean that he believed what he was saying. In all truth he was petrified of what would happen on Wednesday. His future hung on this. Sure he had more than enough money to attend college on his own but he wanted to be in an elite swim team and if he couldn’t prove himself at nationals there was no way he was going to be let into a team. He knew he could easily beat the competition as his times were better than most of the swimmers his age but he also knew that Nationals bought out the best in people. It was where records were broken and even though he had a chance of doing that himself, it was still niggling at him that maybe someone else would be the one to break the record.

“Stop worrying,” Dean soothed as he traced the lines between Castiel’s brows. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Win or lose there are going to be schools left right and centre that will be begging for you to join their team. You’re so fucking beautiful when you swim it’s insane.”

Castiel let out a real smile at Dean’s words his face heating up in a crimson blush. Dean leant forward and kissed his cheeks before pulling back again and looking him in the eye.

“I’m so proud of you baby,” he murmured as he pulled him close and tucked him under his chin wrapping his arms tight around him.

Castiel sighed contently nuzzling as close as he could into Dean’s chest happy and warm. It was if when Dean held him in his arms he had no worries or fears. Everything was perfect and he never wanted to leave. When he was with Dean, his nightmares of failing weren’t around and he was able to sleep an entire night without waking in a cold sweat. All he could think as he slowly started to drift off was that he hoped Dean was right.


	24. Chapter 24

On the eve of the first day of competition, Castiel was a nervous wreck. He was pacing his room annoying Balthazar to no end who would not let Castiel hear the end of it. The teen wished he could be as cool as his roommate but he just didn’t have it in him. He wanted desperately to go to Dean and just wrap himself around his warm body for the night where he knew Dean would relax him into sleeping but Dean had told him to stay away for the night. Castiel had grumpily agreed knowing it wasn’t worth the risk right before competition to get caught.

Eventually, Balthazar managed to get Castiel into his bed and settled him with his music to try and calm him. It worked enough for him to stay in his bed and not get up to pace some more but it wasn’t enough for him to get to sleep. He had never been that nervous before a competition before but with his future in the balance, he was on edge. Over the sound of his music, he could hear Balthazar snoring and felt a pang of jealousy in him. In the back of his mind, he knew he needed to sleep but he just couldn’t put his thoughts at rest as every bad scenario went through his head as to what would happen in the morning.

His music faded for a moment half song confusing him for a moment before he felt his phone vibrate in his hand. He pulled his hand free of the covers so he could check the screen squinting slightly at the bright light. When he saw who sent him a message, he couldn’t help but grin.

**[Dean: Stop worrying baby. You’re going to do great. I know you want to be with me right now and I always want you to be here but I don’t want to risk something going wrong. After this is all done we will be able to be together without any worries but for now we just have to survive. So close your eyes and relax to the tunes of Zep and don’t think about tomorrow. You’re amazing and I love you. Get some sleep Cas. I’ll see you in the morning]**

As soon as he finished reading the message through for a third time, Castiel felt himself relax enough for his body’s tiredness to take over. He put on one of Dean’s favourite songs and lost himself in the familiar cords feeling a happy smile spread across his lips. Castiel snuggled into the covers a little more and finally fell asleep.

When he woke in the morning, he was rested enough that he didn’t feel tired but if he could he would’ve just gone back to sleep. When he remembered why he had set his alarm at a ridiculous time in the morning and he was up out of bed in a heartbeat. He whipped his head around to see Balthazar still sound asleep and jumped over to him to shake him awake. The Brit grumbled at him but eventually he was up and getting ready along with Castiel. They packed their duffels for the day before they headed out of their rooms to meet up with the rest of the team.

Everyone was rather quiet as they sat down for breakfast all in quiet thought as to what the day ahead would hold in store. When Gabriel came down, a full half an hour after everyone else, the tension in the room eased somewhat with his lame jokes and cocky attitude. Everyone was looking at Castiel to retort which he did easily. It was easier to ignore the nerves in his gut and fall into the excitement and cockiness that showed up when Gabriel was around. As the morning progressed, he was no longer ignoring the feeling and was just excited about the day’s events.

The team and supporters piled into the vans to head to the venue now quite familiar with the place after a couple of days of swimming there. It was a huge arena that could hold thousands of people in the grand stands which Castiel no doubt would be pack come finals. Crowd numbers were always a little scarce during heats as a lot of people came and went especially with the amount of heats they needed to get through.

Once they had been processed, the team made their way to the stands to find a spot for everyone to sit together. There were a few other schools already gathered and there were more filing in as they settled themselves. The people who were competing first went off to get changed while the rest of them stayed where they were. Castiel sort out Dean as soon as he was seated and felt his body relax even further as Dean smiled warmly towards him. Their eye contact was broken when a parent called for Dean’s attention and Castiel wished that they could just sit next to each other hand-in-hand and not have to worry about anyone else. After Nationals, that would be possible but for now, Castiel had an event to focus on.

Castiel pulled out his headphones and put on the playlist he had created to help him focus on the events and to just block out everything else. It helped that he had found a seat at the back of the group where he could lean his head back against the wall and just lose himself in the music. It helped to keep the nerves at bay and soon enough he was completely relaxed. Happy, he opened his eyes to see that he was just in time to see the first heat of the day that involved one of the girls from their team. It was the 200 butterfly and Castiel was confident that their teammate, Heather, was going to make it through easily to the finals. She was the best in their team by far and had never lost a butterfly sprint in the time Castiel had been at the school. As predicted, she won her heat settling her in second seed for the finals.

As the Women’s butterfly came to a close, it was time for the Men’s. Castiel watched with intrigued interest in the race as he knew most of these competitors were more than likely going to be going up against him in the individual medleys. He had wanted to compete in every single event and just win as many trophies as he could but Dean had wisely made him pick a few events so that he would be able to compete in the entire competition and not bail out after the first two days from exhaustion. It had made training easier to know that he would be able to save his energy and to give the National records a real crack.

When it was Balthazar’s turn to compete, Castiel sat himself in front of the glass balustrade and leant over it with his arms rested on the barrier and his chin rested on his folded arms. His music was still playing as he watched his friend’s race and when he came in a close second, in a very quick race, Castiel clapped and cheered loudly for his friend along with the rest of the team. Balthazar shot them a wink and a cocky grin before he climbed out of the pool and made his way over to where Dean was stood to congratulate him.

Castiel resumed his meditating with the race over not bothering to move to the back of the stand again. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he scolded himself for not putting it in his bag so he wouldn’t be distracted but when he saw who was calling, he didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Meg!” Castiel greeted cheerily.

“Heya Clarence, how’s it going?” she asked.

Castiel pulled his headphones completely out so that the music wouldn’t distract him as he spoke to his friend, “I’m a little nervous but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Naw then what am I meant to do now if you’re all sorted now I’m here?” Meg joked. It took a second for Castiel to realise what Meg had said but once he had he quickly stood from his seat and whipped his head around the room.

“What?” he shouted, “You’re here? Where?”

Meg chuckled through the phone. “Just making my way through the front doors now. Where you seating? I’ll come sit with you.”

Castiel hastily gave her a description of where they were and hung up the phone looking towards the front entrance where he knew Meg would appear any moment. When she did, Castiel waved his hands in the air as his best friend looked around the room. She spotted him and nodded her head to indicate she’d seen him and then made her way to the stairs. Castiel placed his stuff on his seat so he could go over to the stairs and greet his friend as soon as possible. As soon as she was in reach, he pulled her into his arms hugging her close. She chuckled in his hair and called him a sap but she hugged him back just as hard.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Castiel admitted into her brown curly hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Clarence.”

The pair finally pulled themselves apart and made their way over to the rest of the group. Most of the girls all gave Meg an evil glare whereas the boys were indifferent about her appearance. Castiel sat in his seat he had been in before behind the balustrade with Meg settling in beside him. They talked for a while about Meg’s trip and what possessed her to make the trip over to which she scoffed and told Castiel she wouldn’t have missed the event for the world. When Castiel pointed out Dean to her, she did an appreciative whistle and thumped him on the shoulder.

“You did well Clarence. I taught you well,” she smirked causing Castiel to glare at her which soon faded into a smile. She pulled him into her side wrapping her arm around his shoulder as they watched the start of the heats. Eventually, he had to pry himself away from her to get ready for his race. He grabbed his duffle and headed towards the stairs. Dean was waiting for him at the bottom with a smile on his face.

“You’ll do great babe,” Dean whispered as he passed and Castiel felt a smile spread across his face.

Dean was correct in his assumption and Castiel easily made it through to the finals along with Balthazar and Gabriel.

Without another event until the relays started, Castiel collected Meg and decided to head out to find some food. Castiel had his own lunch already sorted but Meg hadn’t brought anything along. The pair made their way down to pool side where Dean was standing. He eyed them warily confused as to who Castiel had with him. Castiel smiled brightly at him as he stepped toward him.

“Dean, this is Meg,” Castiel introduced. Dean smiled politely but his eyes held mixed emotions at meeting the woman that potentially ruined their relationship.

“Hey Dean-o. Nice to finally meet you,” Meg replied as she eyed him up and down.

“I would return the sentiment but seeing you nearly broke us up, I can’t say I want to,” Dean snarled.

Castiel’s face contorted into anger as he glared at his boyfriend. “Dean stop being rude,” Castiel hissed.

“Yeah Dean-o, aren’t you supposed to impress the best friend? I mean if I don’t like you then that puts poor Clarence here in a bit of a mess.”

Dean rolled his eyes at Meg which just caused Castiel to become angrier. “Whatever Dean, I’ll talk to you later.” He turned to Meg and pulled her by the hand, “Let’s go.” Castiel didn’t spare a glance back to Dean as they left the building.

Throughout the rest of the day, Castiel didn’t speak to Dean more than he had to. He would answer his questions with the least amount of words possible and then leave to hang out with Meg. He could tell that Dean was annoyed with him for doing it but he had no right to be. Dean was rude to his best friend and therefore he had to suffer. Meg had tried to reason with him telling him it was fine and she had kind of expected it but Castiel didn’t agree with her. Dean was in the wrong.

When everyone returned for the evening session, there was a nervous energy floating around the arena as to who would get the first medals. Castiel sat with Meg and the team the entire time waiting for his heat pointedly ignoring Dean the entire time. Castiel cheered for his teammates as they swam in their finals and as predicted, Heather won her Butterfly easily almost setting a record in doing so. When Balthazar’s race was up, the team was once again cheering their lungs out for their friend. Much to Balthazar’s disappointment he finished second however once the rest of the team offered their congratulations, he cheered up slightly.

Once it was time for his first final, Castiel found himself distracted by Dean. His thoughts were not on the race ahead and more on the fact that he was mad at his boyfriend. Dean had come over to him to tell wish him luck to which Castiel had brushed him off and now he felt a little bad because Dean’s entire face had fell and he looked crushed. He tried not to dwell on it but as he warmed his muscles up he failed to not let his eyes drift over to where Dean was stood leant against the wall inspecting his fingernails and looking a little disappointed. As soon as the race was over and he had won, Castiel would make it up to him but right now he needed to focus.

It was a close race, but Castiel made it through to the final without much effort. He knew that it would be different in the actual final and seeing he had seeded second, he would be in one of the middle lanes. Gabriel had just missed out on a final spot finishing fourth in his semi and having a mere tenth of a second off the person who qualified before him. Balthazar had missed out altogether which he was seething about but they calmed him down with the thought of him beating them all in the relays.

Castiel patted Gabriel on the back with a smile and wished him luck to which the smaller man returned the sentiment. They made their way to their respective lanes blocking out the rest of the arena and just focussing on the race ahead.

As soon as Castiel hit the water, everything disappeared as it had every other time he swam. All he could think about was his strokes and his breathing as he pushed himself through the water determined to beat the record. With nothing to lose and everything to win, Castiel pushed himself as hard as he could pushing off the wall in his turn hard and going into the last 50, he was in first place with half a body length to spare. When he hit the wall, he was panting hard but with a look at the screen to see his time, he grinned as wide as possible. He’d beaten the record by three tenths of a second.

Before the teen could react, he was pulled out of the water by Gabriel and Balthazar and wrapped in a hug which he eagerly returned. They offered their congratulations and he thanked them with a smile. When he glanced at Dean, he saw the man smile at him but he could still see the pout in his eyes that they were still in an argument. Castiel nodded his head in the direction of the changing rooms and mouthed two minutes to him to which Dean understood straight away. Meg was next to bundle him into an embrace telling him how proud she was of him. Castiel kissed her on the cheek in thanks before whispering in her ear that he was going to talk to Dean. She patted him on the ass telling him she’d cover for them if anyone asked any questions if they were gone too long. The teen rolled his eyes but smiled in thanks anyway.

With a sigh, Castiel walked into the changing rooms which still held quite a few swimmers who were either getting changed having finished their events for the day or were about to have an event. Castiel looked around the room not seeing Dean anywhere but he knew the man wouldn’t want to be seen talking to him intimately just yet so he would more than likely be in one of the private cubicles. Slowly, as to not arouse suspicion, Castiel made his way over and knocked lightly on the only locked one. It was hastily unlocked and Castiel was pulled inside by his shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” Dean said as soon as the door was closed, “I know Meg is your best friend and I _should_ be nice to her but she broke us up with her stupid meddling.”

Castiel crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at Dean. “Dean, she’s my _best friend_. If it weren’t for her I don’t even know where I would be.” Dean’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him in regardless of his wet body and kissed him on the top of his head.

“I know and I’m sorry I was mean to her. I’ll _try_ and be nice.”

Castiel smiled as he wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist. “That’s all I can ask of you,” he smiled before he leant up and pressed their lips together in a tender kiss.

“We better get back before someone notices,” Castiel resided as he pulled away.

Dean nodded in agreement and let Castiel go so he could unlock the door and step out.

“Hey,” Dean called to him as Castiel moved out of the cubicle causing Castiel to turn around and look at him. “Congratulations by the way. I knew you could do it.” Castiel smiled brightly at him and stepped towards him again and quickly pressed their lips together.

“Thanks,” Castiel replied before he made his way out of the changing rooms to watch the women’s relays.

The girls managed to win their relay final by a land mile much to the excitement of the rest of the team. However, when it was the boys’ turn to race, their competition was much fiercer. It was neck and neck the entire race and when it came to Castiel to finish it off for them, he met his match. The other competitor that was swimming against him had finished second in their freestyle race earlier that day and was obviously hurting as he was pushing himself hard. It made Castiel have to push himself harder than he would have liked on the first day of competition. They came out on top and even though they didn’t break the record Castiel had set earlier in the day, they came quite close.

Overall day one was a success.

Day two was a lot more relaxed than the day before. Castiel had been utterly exhausted after the first day and as soon as he had finished his meal he had hit the sack and was out like a light. He was happy with how the first day had turned out and he was eager for the next day but his nerves were nowhere to be found. The sleep he managed to catch up on paid off as on the second day of competition he managed to win his 200 Free final and the team finished in second of the 200 Free Relay with Castiel breaking the record in his 200. Balthazar managed to get his first gold medal with his 200 backstroke and Gabriel won his 200 breaststroke final. The girls did better than the boys with their school getting second and third in the Freestyle. Heather managed a record in the 50 butterfly and two of the other girls managed to make it to the finals narrowly missing out on a medal in the backstroke and breaststroke.

Day three Castiel competed in the 400 medley and was then finished for the day. He managed to finish second, his butterfly letting him down and he wasn’t able to make it up. He and Meg sat in the bleachers watching the rest of the races and cheering on his teammates as well as joking about the other competitors. Meg was cruel in her taunts but Castiel couldn’t help but laugh at the reactions she earned. There was a smile on his face the entire day as he sat next to his best friend doing things they used to do back when they were together nearly twenty-four seven. Castiel would watch Dean from afar and give him suggestive looks just to see him blush under his gaze and the awkward stance he would take when there were people around. Meg would spur him on then cackle in his ear at how Dean would do the most stupid of things afterwards like walking into the female changing rooms. Castiel knew he would pay for it all later but at the time, it was the funniest thing they had done all week. The girls once again showed their skill and won their 200 relay easily setting the fastest time for the event.

On day four, Castiel had his 400 Freestyle event as well as the Medley Relay. His body was starting to feel its toll of the week a lot more noticeably now that they were nearing the end. He was glad that Dean had told him to cut down on his events so that on day three he had only one event because he was sure that if he hadn’t, he may have been completely exhausted. Dean of course had been there the whole time during their warm-ups and warm-downs ensuring they were all eating right and weren’t abusing their bodies. Castiel was grateful for it all but he still felt incredibly groggy as he got of bed. When he got to the venue, he was glad to find the other competitors looked just as bad as he did. Meg was still around and greeted him with a hug and a kiss to the cheek and as Castiel looked at Dean over her shoulder, he could tell he was a little jealous that he couldn’t do the same. Castiel felt exactly the same but they only had two more days then Castiel was officially free to do what he liked without ties to the school.

Even though his body was protesting, he managed to finish first in the 400 Freestyle. It was a tight contest with all the swimmers within contention until the last few metres when Castiel managed to pull away and win it. Gabriel won second place in his breaststroke and Balthazar first place in his backstroke. When it came to the 400 Medley relay, the boys were on their game and even though Samandriel was the youngest team member in the final, he managed to get a lead for the team making Castiel’s job a lot easier and brought it home for them even with his butterfly being a little behind the time. Once again, the girls were unstoppable with gold medals in all the events for the school as well as a bronze in the Backstroke and Freestyle.

Day Five meant Castiel had most of the morning off as he was only competing in the 200 Medley and the 50 Freestyle sprint. The Freestyle sprint was easily his favourite event and he was eager to put all his energy into it and try and set the record. When he got to breakfast that morning, he stocked up on the food that would give him the energy he required for the day. Dean wandered in just as he finished and Castiel felt himself drawn to the other man. It had been a week since they had done anything more than kiss and even then it was only for a few minutes in the cubicle after their disagreement. Dean stared over at him longingly and Castiel felt exactly the same. Subtlety, Castiel rose from his chair and made his way towards Dean brushing their hands together as he passed him as he headed to the bathroom looking over his shoulder at Dean as he opened the door. He grinned as he saw Dean’s eyes dilate before looking around the room to see if anyone noticed and quickly made a move to follow Castiel when nobody was watching him.

As soon as Dean was through the door, Castiel pulled him close kissing him as hard as he could. It took a moment but soon Dean was kissing him back just as hard. Castiel pushed him back against the door locking it, thankful that no one had been in the restroom at the time.

“I miss you,” Castiel breathed against Dean’s lips. “All I want to do is just kiss you all the time and I can’t.”

“I know,” Dean replied. “I feel the same.”

Castiel smiled at Dean their eyes locked before their lips met again. Castiel couldn’t help but groan into the kiss, Dean’s tongue was so talented and knew exactly how to make him weak at the knees. The teen repositioned himself so that he was straddling Dean’s thigh and thrust his hips forward so he could grind against Dean’s thigh. There was this burning need deep in Castiel’s gut that he had been ignoring in favour of focussing on his events but with it being the final day, he figured he could give in even if it was just for a little while.

Castiel pulled away from Dean only to lean forward so he could whisper in his ear, “When we get home, we are not going to leave our bed for _hours_. I want you to just _fuck me_ until I can’t take it anymore and then I want you to fuck me anyway.” Castiel relished in the groan that fell from Dean’s lips as their hips ground together once again. Dean’s hands found their way to Castiel’s hips pulling him forward so he could grind up against him.

Fed up with the lack of skin to skin, Castiel removed his hands from Dean’s hair and started to undo his jeans. He slipped his hand inside pulling Dean’s member free and stroking him just how he knew Dean liked. Castiel smirked as Dean’s groaned before he planted his lips over Dean’s to silent him not wanting others to overhear them. As he continued to move his hand over Dean’s cock, Dean undid Castiel’s jeans pulling him out too. Castiel’s head fell forward to Dean’s shoulder as Dean worked him over pushing his hips up into Dean’s hand as Castiel continued to stroke Dean.

When Dean’s free hand slipped down the back of his pants and his fingers traced over his rim, Castiel lost his rhythm unable to stroke Dean and thrust his hips at the same time. Dean took them both in hand as Castiel just tried to focus on his breathing and the feeling of Dean’s hands on him. His hips thrust back against Dean’s fingers playing with his ass before they moved back into Dean’s hand groaning as his dick slid against Dean’s in the most delicious way. He was a complete mess in Dean’s hold barely able to hold himself up as Dean worked him over.

“Come for me Cas,” Dean panted obviously just as strung out at Castiel. A handful of strokes later as familiar fingers played with his rim, he did just that. Dean stroked him through it as Castiel groaned his orgasm out into Dean’s shoulder biting down to keep the noise at bay. Dean followed him over the edge moments later burying his face in Castiel’s neck barely holding back on leaving marks.

As they came down from their highs, they kissed lazily with dopey grins on their faces. If they walked out right then, it would be completely obvious what they had been up to so instead, they decided to make most of the time they had and continued to kiss. When the flush that had graced their cheeks left, they parted and started to clean themselves up. With one final kiss, Castiel left leaving Dean behind in the bathroom to leave a few minutes after him.

When he ran into Meg at the venue, she knew exactly what had happened and gave him a smirk.

“See you gave into those desires,” she purred as she looped her arm through Castiel’s. “Never been one to keep it in your pants.”

Castiel rolled his eyes before he gestured at Dean who was talking to one of the officials, “Can you blame me?” he question.

Meg looked over at Dean and nodded, “Yeah I guess not.”

Lucky for both of them, no one knew Castiel as well as Meg and no one looked twice at his wider than normal smile or how he was a little more relaxed than he normally was right before a race.

Day Five was yet another success for their team with at least one competitor through to the finals in every race. They managed a Silver in the 1500 Women’s Freestyle as well as Bronze in the Women’s 200 IM with Castiel getting Gold in the Men’s IM. Gabriel won Silver in the 800 Freestyle but didn’t quite get a good enough time to make it to the 50 Freestyle sprint. It was the last event of the competition and quite easily the most fierce. Everyone was on edge as they stepped up to the plate for the Final. The girls had already won second and third for their school with only the boys to race and try bring home another medal. It was in this race Castiel was determined to set a record.

He was nervous but once he was in the water he would be able to change that into pure adrenaline and get himself to the finish with a gold medal and the record. There was nothing else on his mind but the win. Balthazar was also in the final with him but he paid him no mind as he knew the other teen was doing exactly the same thing. Once he was on his mark, he was in the zone crouched over ready to die just waiting for the hooter to sound so he could win the race. As soon as it went off, he was out like a shot and into the water surfacing and pushing himself through the water as fast as his body was able. He kept his head down as he swam not caring about where anyone else was but him. When his hand hit the wall, he knew he’d done it simply due to the fact that the wall surprised him when he got there. With a glance at the big screen, his suspicions were confirmed and a huge grin broke out on his face as he saw in black and white that he had beat the record clocking in 22 seconds on the dot.

Dean was the first person to him pulling him out of the water and into a huge hug and Castiel was so caught up in it that he _almost_ kissed him but managed to hold back just in time. Balthazar was on him in no time pulling him into a hug too and congratulating him. Castiel was a little in shock as everyone came over to him and congratulated him. He smiled and thanked them before Dean came over with his towel and he hastily wrapped it around himself suddenly feeling the chill. He smiled gratefully at Dean who returned it with warm eyes that Castiel couldn’t wait to get himself lost in when they got home.

Once all the medals for the events of the day had been given out, there was a special medal given out. The award went to the athlete that had the most outstanding performance of the competition based on a point system. Castiel was ecstatic to find out that he had been the one that had won the medal. Dean had given him a knowing smile with a wink mouthing ‘I told you so’ as he did so. Castiel couldn’t stop grinning the entire walk up to the stage where he shook hands with the event’s sponsor and was given his medal. Photos were taken before he was allowed to leave and go to his team.

As he was on his way, he was stopped by and unknown man whom he had seen around the event but had assumed he was just a parent of a swimmer.

“Castiel, may I have a word with you?” the man asked his voice deep and soothing. When Castiel nodded, the man continued, “My name is Martin Gray I’m a scout for Texas University swim programme. I’d like to talk to you about joining us for next season on a full scholarship studying whatever course you decide as well as a place in our training squad. Is that something you would be interested in?”

Castiel’s jaw dropped he had no idea what was going on as he tried to comprehend what the man had just told him. Needing to see Dean, he looked over the man’s shoulder to see Dean staring over at him with a smirk on his face before he nodded. Castiel returned his attention to the man before him and couldn’t help but nod.

“Of course!” he blurted a little too loudly. “I mean obviously I would like to talk this through with you more but yes! I’m definitely interested in that.”

Martin smiled at him as he chuckled at Castiel’s excitement. “Great,” he said. “Well I’ll let you continue your celebrations. We will be in contact in a few days to talk about details.”

Unable to hold back, Castiel ran to Dean and enveloped him in a huge hug. “You knew didn’t you?” Castiel asked as he pulled back. “You knew this whole time they were going to offer me a scholarship and you kept it quiet? God, you’re such an asshole!” he growled with a playful slap to his shoulder.

Dean chuckled still holding onto Castiel by his waist. “Of course I knew,” Dean admitted. “They rang me to ask about you and I told them everything I knew and they told me their plans to see how you went at the comp and when it was over, they’d talk to you. They were going to sign you win or lose because they know how good you can be.”

Just as Castiel was about to lean in and kiss Dean, he remembered where they were and pulled away. At Dean’s hurt expression, Castiel voiced his reason, “Not here. Wait until we’re home and are no longer on school time.”

Dean nodded in understanding and pulled away from Castiel.

“There’s actually one other thing they asked me about on the phone when they rang about you,” Dean said stepping back into Castiel’s personal space.

“Dean what are you doing?” Castiel asked with a hand to Dean’s chest trying to hold him back but with the way Dean was built, it was easier said than done.

A smirk crossed Dean’s face as he looked down at Castiel’s hand before flicking back up to his face. “Well,” he drawled, “They offered me an assistant coach role.”

“What?!” Castiel yelled, “Are you serious? Oh my God Dean I’m so-“ he continued only to be cut off by Dean.

“I told them that I couldn’t take the role if they were going to sign you on because I’m in a relationship with you and I don’t want to have to hide that anymore and I definitely don’t want it to end.” Castiel was gobsmacked at the confession before heartbreak crossed his face because Dean had turned down his dream just so he could be in a relationship with him. Tears pooled in his eyes at how Dean could just so easily give up everything he wanted for those he loved.

“Dean I can’t let you do this,” Castiel whispered as he gripped tight at Dean’s shirt balling his hand into a fist. “You can’t give up your dream for me. Not like you did for Sam.”

“I didn’t,” Dean laughed as he stroked Castiel’s cheek with his thumb his hands framing Castiel’s face.

“What?” Castiel asked looking into Dean’s eyes through his tears.

“I didn’t. They gave me the job saying they would agree to our relationship given there is no unfair treatment which I’m pretty sure we can agree that I won’t ever go easy on your ass.” The double meaning had them both laughing as the tears fell from Castiel’s eyes. “I told you I’d follow you wherever to go and now I can while doing what I want to do.”

Castiel laughed unable to stop as he stared deep into Dean’s eyes.

“I love you Dean,” Castiel breathed as he leant forward their lips almost touching.

“I love you too Cas,” Dean replied before closing the gap and kissing Castiel with everything he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks. I hope you enjoyed the ride. A big thank you to all the people that have followed and reviewed this story. It all means a lot that people actually read and enjoy what I write. For those of you that don't know, I am heading overseas in a few days for an indefinite period of time. I don't know when I will post new stories but I will be back eventually. Thanks once again :)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think here or at my [Tumblr](http://www.assbuttintheimpalafiction.tumblr.com)


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